‘Shubman Gill nowhere near a finished article’: Ian Bishop stops the frenzy around India captain

Gill, 26, was handed the responsibility to lead India in Test matches after Rohit Sharma retired from the longest format right before the England series. The right-handed batter not only returned as the top run-getter by scoring more than 750 runs in the five Tests in England but also gave a good account of himself as captain. The result was a 2-2 draw in England.

What the selectors saw in England was enough to hand over the ODI captaincy to Gill despite the return of Rohit for the series in Australia. While impressed by his early signs of leadership, Bishop said Gill will need time to grow tactically.

“He’ll be fine. Those two guys will help him along the way. He will grow in the job,” Bishop told PTI Videos, referring to the expected return of senior pros Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. “He’s nowhere near the finished article. People have to give him that chance to grow as a captain, and as a batsman, he will grow as well.”

Bishop stressed that the presence of Rohit and Kohli will be a massive support system for the young leader, both in terms of strategy and managing the pressure of the role.

“He has the temperament and the skill to lead, but the growth in captaincy and tactics is something that will take a couple of seasons to grow into. I’m sure he’ll get help from the two veterans,” he added.

Gill, who already has a strong record with the bat across formats, is seen as a key figure in India's next generation, but Bishop believes leadership at the international level comes with a steep learning curve.

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