Shubman Gill kills the buzz around Gautam Gambhir's ‘secret dinner’: ‘Conversations are limited’

Gill spoke about the team dinner during his pre-match press conference. Notably, his team is scheduled to play the West Indies in the second and last Test from the 10th of October.

Gill clears the air about the dinner party

As quoted by ANI, Gill said, “Team dinners, I think, used to happen before as well. Team dinners, in any tour, you go. So, most of the players are very busy. Many of the players have their own families. In the ground we meet, spend a lot of time together. But a lot of conversations are limited. So, it is important that for any team, that you know each other off the field as well.”

He further added, “So, I think, the team dinners that we do, we try two or three times in every series, that the team comes together once, and there is a very light atmosphere,” pointing to the fact that team dinners are a recurring culture, and the invitation to the Gambhir residence was not a one-off incident.

Notably, India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, hosted the Indian squad in New Delhi ahead of the second Test against the West Indies. It was supposed to be a relaxed mid-series pause after a massive win in Ahmedabad. The evening doubled down on a simple idea that better teams are often built in small, consistent rituals, not only strategy meetings.

For Shubman Gill, involvement in this kind of gathering is particularly important as he steps into a larger leadership role. Taking over the ODI team now, it becomes a natural duty of Gill to look after the overall atmosphere of the team.

Beyond all that the Indian captain has said, there is also a practical layer to this. Modern cricket is demanding both physically and mentally. Team dinners where the atmosphere is informal allow the players to take their mind off the game and interact among themselves in a less demanding environment.

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