Leeds [UK], June 19 : With India gearing up for the much-anticipated Test series against England starting June 20 in Leeds, Shubman Gill has confirmed that he will bat in the crucial number four position in the batting order.
Speaking about the shift in his batting role, Gill revealed, "After Virat (Kohli) bhai retired, me and GG (Gautam Gambhir) bhai had a discussion, and he wanted me to bat at number 4. I also wanted to bat at that number."
The number 4 spot, previously occupied by Virat Kohli, has traditionally been a pivotal role in India's Test lineup. Gill's technical prowess and composure under pressure make him a strong contender to carry forward the legacy.
India will be relying on the in-form Gill to anchor the innings and provide stability against a potent English bowling attack, especially in conditions that can be challenging for subcontinental batters.
While playing at number three, Shubman featured in 17 matches and garnered 1,019 runs at 37.74, with three centuries and as many fifties, all coming on home turf.
In overseas conditions, Gill has featured in seven Tests and managed just 212 runs at 19.27. Besides captaincy, Gill will have to take the legacy of the number four spot to a new level, considering how Virat and Tendulkar made the position their own.
Earlier India vice-captain Rishabh Pant announced that he will continue to stick to the number five in the upcoming five high-stakes Tests, while newly-crowned Test captain Shubman Gill will take stalwart Virat Kohli's number four spot in the format.
After Virat bid adieu to the Test format last month, speculation were there around who would take up the mantle of bearing the responsibility of playing at number four, a spot that has been earlier held by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
India's squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana
England Playing XI for the 1st Test against India: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.