New Delhi [India], June 14 : Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shared his thoughts on Shubman Gill's appointment as India's new Test captain ahead of the five-match Test series against England, starting June 20 at Leeds.
This series marks a new era in Indian Test cricket following the retirements of senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Tests, and Ashwin himself from international cricket.
Speaking to journalist Boria Majumdar on Revsportz, Ashwin said that Gill might be feeling the weight of expectations.
"I think Gill is already too overwhelmed by the attention and responsibility he has got. If I was in his place with such a high-pressure job, I would want to have a very good start as a batsman," Ashwin said.
He pointed out that batting in England is always challenging and that Gill will have to prove himself as both captain and batter.
"As a batter, he will have his share of questions on his place, as England can be a very tough place to bat. But if he makes runs, runs will give confidence and that would in turn rub on to captaincy," he said.
Calling Gill a "very special player," Ashwin added, "I hope he gets off to a very good start to avoid any questions raised. But I think Rishabh goes into the series with a lot more certainty than Shubman. Test cricket is a lot about game awareness that grows and develops. In a recent Test against England in Ranchi, Shubman's second-innings 50 spoke volumes of his attitude and transforming potential."
Ashwin also reflected on the retirement of Virat Kohli, who announced his exit from Test cricket on May 12, just weeks before the England series.
When asked whether India will miss Kohli in the upcoming series, Ashwin said, "I do not think anybody who has played the game, or will play the game, is higher than the game itself. Nobody that walks the park does good for the game - the game does good or bad by them. I love Virat, but he has come, played the game, left the game, left it at a great place. It is for someone else to take it forward."
He expressed hope that young players like Gill, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel will rise to the occasion.
"Now looking forward to the attitude and desire of talents like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel to take it ahead. It's time to see if they can replicate the intense energy that players like Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar showed on the field all these years. Having said that, it is everyone's responsibility in the team to show that energy and desire," Ashwin said.
The series will be held from June to August 2025, with matches scheduled at Headingley in Leeds, Edgbaston in Birmingham, Lord's and The Oval in London, and Old Trafford in Manchester.
India's Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.