Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif has urged India’s newly appointed Test captain Shubman Gill to call Ajinkya Rahane and have a chat with him regarding the leadership role. Rahane had led a beleaguered Indian Test team to a 2-1 series win in the Border-Gavaskar series on the 2020-21 tour.
India was bundled out for only 36 runs in the second innings at Adelaide in the opening Test but bounced back in style to register memorable wins at Melbourne and Brisbane.
India’s full-time captain Virat Kohli had returned back home after taking paternity leave, and Rahane had led a young team from the front, scoring a fine century at the MCG. Furthermore, to add salt to the wound, the visitors had to play a second-string team because of injury woes.
Kaif compared the current situation with the 2020-21 Australia tour and said Gill has a chance to become a hero as the expectations would be low.
“I think this is a chance for Gill to become a hero. He is getting an opportunity to lead a young team in England, and in such cases sometimes the expectations are a bit low. That is something that Gill can use to his benefit, because when Rahane was leading India in Australia, before the Gabba Test everyone had said that it is a very young team,” Kaif said in a video posted on X.
“But, Rahane’s young team defeated Australia in Australia. So, Gill should probably call Rahane and have a chat, because Rahane had done some brilliant work in that tour with a young side. Gill has to do something like that as well,” he added.
On the other hand, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said they are confident that Gill is the right leader to take Indian cricket forward in the red-ball version.
“It’s a big job; it’s a big transition. Two of your big players are retiring. But we’re all confident that he’s the guy to take us forward and hopefully, in time, that proves it. He’s a terrific player and we’re all very hopeful,” Agarkar said during the squad announcement press conference in Mumbai on May 24.
The opening Test match between India and England will be played at Leeds, Headingley, from June 20 onwards.
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