Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has thrown his weight behind the decision to appoint young opener Shubman Gill as the new captain of the Indian One Day International (ODI) team. Harbhajan expressed confidence that Gill is prepared for significant responsibilities and will soon get more opportunities in the T20 International format.
Gill's Captaincy Journey and Recent Form
Shubman Gill is set to lead India in his first home ODI series against New Zealand, starting on January 11. This comes after he lost his debut ODI series as captain against Australia away from home. While his Test captaincy tenure has been highlighted by a hard-fought 2-2 draw in England and a personal tally of 754 runs with four centuries, his impact as both a batter and leader in the 50-over format is still developing.
In T20Is, Gill's return as vice-captain during the Asia Cup did not yield the expected results. He managed only 291 runs in his last 15 innings, failing to register a single half-century since his comeback. This recent form contributed to his omission from India's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Harbhajan's Vote of Confidence
Speaking to ANI, Harbhajan Singh addressed Gill's return to the ODI setup after recovering from a neck injury sustained during the Test series in South Africa and his exclusion from the T20 World Cup team. "Gill was bound to make a comeback. I had no doubt," Harbhajan stated. He clarified that the omission was solely due to the T20 format and the specific combination the selectors desired, not a reflection of Gill's overall caliber.
Justifying the leadership appointment, the former spinner said it was a forward-looking decision. "I think the decision has been taken keeping the future in mind... I think he is ready for this job," Harbhajan elaborated. He praised Gill's performance in the England Test series, noting that scoring heavily while leading from the front demonstrated exceptional hard work and readiness for major challenges.
On the T20 World Cup Squad and Key Players
Harbhajan termed the T20 World Cup squad selected by chief selector Ajit Agarkar a "10/10 team." While he admitted feeling disappointed for Gill, he believes the opener will get his chances soon. He expressed hope that India could win back-to-back World Cups with the current team of match-winners.
The spin legend specifically praised the "match-winning" spin trio selected for the global tournament: Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav. "Players are still not able to decipher Varun. Kuldeep has that variation. This is a nice combination of spinners," he said, hoping they remain injury-free.
Harbhajan also backed skipper Suryakumar Yadav to deliver in crucial World Cup games despite a modest run of 218 runs in 19 innings last year. He highlighted other key players like the in-form Hardik Pandya, the match-winning potential of Abhishek Sharma, and the pace duo of Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah.
As Gill prepares for his maiden home ODI series as captain, the backing from a veteran like Harbhajan Singh adds significant weight to the team's new leadership era and its future prospects.
