Could Shubman Gill Captain India in Sydney? Ex-Cricketer Sparks Speculation

2 days ago | 5 Views

The situation surrounding Rohit Sharma has become even more puzzling, especially with India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir staying unusually quiet about whether the Indian captain will take the field in the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, which kicks off on Friday. A former Indian cricketer highlighted a viral clip from the team’s practice session at the Sydney Cricket Ground, suggesting that Shubman Gill could step up as captain for this match.

Sreevats Goswami, who was part of the India U-19 World Cup-winning team in 2008 under Virat Kohli, took to social media to point out that a specific moment from the training session hinted at Gill potentially leading the squad in Sydney. He also suggested that this could signal the beginning of a new chapter for Indian cricket as they look ahead to the next World Test Championship cycle.

His tweet stated: "Based on a certain clip, could Gill be leading India in the Sydney Test? Looks like India is already planning for the next WTC cycle. This should be interesting. #BorderGavaskarTrophy.”

Goswami didn't specify which visual got him thinking, but it's likely the one where Gill is chatting with Gambhir, who gives him a friendly pat on the back. After that, Gill shakes hands with vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah and then heads over to join the slip cordon for some fielding practice.

Is Gill going to make a return to the India XI?

India's No. 3 batsman was left out for the fourth Test against Melbourne last week because captain Rohit chose to open the batting again. This meant that in-form KL Rahul had to move down a spot, and Gill was replaced by all-rounder Washington Sundar.

After India's defeat at the MCG, Rohit explained to the media that Gill's absence from the playing XI was due to a need for specific bowling combinations and batting strength.

“I spoke with him and made it clear that he wasn’t dropped. We just needed that extra cushion in our bowling, so we went with an all-rounder. I didn’t want to sacrifice a batter for a bowler; we aimed to have a deep batting lineup while also having a bowling attack capable of taking 20 wickets. We weighed all our options and, unfortunately, he was the one we had to compromise on,” Rohit said.

The only way for Gill to get back into the team is if India decides to drop Rohit.

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