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'Shubman Gill extremely privileged. That's why he is getting all the advantage': Jadeja's blunt take on 'the chosen one'
Shubman Gill can't put a foot wrong and has been earmarked as the 'chosen one' of Indian cricket by former captain Ajay Jadeja.
It’s taken him six years, but Shubman Gill has finally arrived. 2025 is the year for Indian cricket’s next big superstar. Appointed India’s Test captain after the Test retirement of Rohit Sharma and a successor to Virat Kohli’s No. 4, Gill proved to be a huge success in both these roles. He smashed 754 runs as a batter and led India to a famous 2-2 draw in the first-ever Anderson-Tendulkar trophy. At all of 25, Gill has the world to conquer, with many believing this is just the start.
Gill’s stocks continue to be on the up, with the BCCI chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, naming him in India’s Asia Cup squad of 15. And if that’s not incredible enough, the fact that Gill is the frontrunner to become India’s next all-format captain should erase all doubts. Gill indeed is the next big thing in Indian cricket, and if you don’t take our word for it, Ajay Jadeja proves our point.
"He is the chosen one of Indian cricket. Everyone already has high expectations of him. He has a special talent; there is no two ways about it. If they have picked him ahead of Yashasvi Jaiswal, and as many felt, Sanju Samson, you can imagine how extremely privileged he is. And the only reason is that people think he is in it for the long haul. He has the consistency; is looked at as India's future captain. That's why he is getting advantages. That's the only pressure he will feel, of privilege, not about his place in the team," Jadeja said on the Sony Sports Network.
'Gill's role will change'
Gill's role with the bat during India's Asia Cup 2025 opener against the UAE was short but indicative of what is to come. He remained unbeaten on 20 off nine balls, including a six that made Wasim Akram go bonkers inside the commentary box. Jadeja, a former India captain himself, however, feels that as time passes, Gill will become a T20I behemoth for India. With Gautam Gambhir in charge as the head coach, the team is moving towards a line-up where more players can do both, and hence, with risk-free batting, Gill is expected to blast away more than bat with panache.
"Whatever we saw from this little innings from him, he has repaid the faith. Because when you play eight batters, your own consistency won’t matter. You are expected to do well, but that six that he hit, I think, going forward, his strike-rate will improve, but consistency might dip a little," he added.
