New Delhi [India], October 15 : Former Australia tearaway Brett Lee is "super impressed" with Shubman Gill's captaincy skills, which were on display during the riveting Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England. Lee compared Gill's captaincy style to that of Australian legends Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh, highlighting his ability to command respect and stand firm in challenging moments.
The Test captaincy baton was passed down to Gill by the management after Rohit Sharma bid adieu to the format with a brief note. After his promotion, Gill took the first steps towards following in the footsteps of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The stakes ran past the roof with his first assignment, which was in England during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Gill walked the talk, piling up runs with the bat and leading his side from the front in a record-breaking series. After five Tests, the 26-year-old was the leading run-scorer with 754 runs at 75.40 with a career-best of 269. Gill's tactical acumen remained fundamental to India pulling the curtain down on the series level on 2-2.
When tempers flared, Gill remained firm and authoritative in his stance while defending his teammates from the heat coming from the opposition, something that Lee completely adored.
"I've been super impressed. And to watch him live, captaining against England recently at Lords when I was there watching, it was clear that his troops love him. His players look up to him. He's a young captain and an inexperienced captain, but he looks like a very good captain. And you got to start somewhere," Lee told foxsports.com.au.
"You can never walk into a team as an experienced captain, because you've never done it at that level before. But he's got the mindset and almost a hardness about him as well. There were a couple of moments at Lord's where it was not argy-bargy, but there were a few words said, and he stood up for his teammates," he added.
For Lee, the way Gill led India bore resemblance to Australia's iconic skippers and said, "And I like that. Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting were two leaders who used to do that. They would say, 'You're not having a crack at my players, not on my watch.' And I applaud that. I like that. It is not going outside the rules, and it is about knowing what you can and can't say, but he stood up for his teammates, and I think that's super important."
After his successful start to the stint, the selectors decided to pass the ODI captaincy from Rohit to Gill, India's first significant step towards the 2027 ODI World Cup. The selectors wanted Gill to have enough time to settle into his role before the showpiece event. Gill's first task will be leading India in three ODIs in Australia, scheduled to commence on Sunday in Perth.