Shubman Gill to grow as captain and tactician with Rohit, Kohli by his side: Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop

Former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop believes that Shubman Gill’s captaincy will only grow stronger with the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the upcoming ODI series in Australia, calling their presence “a huge support system” for the young leader.

After India completed the 2-0 Test series win over the West Indies, Bishop said Gill has the temperament and skill to lead India, but will need time to mature as a tactician.

The 24-year-old opener will captain India in the ODIs in Australia, his first major assignment since being handed the reins.

“He’ll be fine. Those two guys will help him along the way. He will grow in the job,” Bishop said, referring to Rohit and Kohli in an interview with PTI Videos

“He’s nowhere near the finished article. People have to give him that chance to grow as a captain, and as a batsman, he will grow as well.”

Bishop emphasised that the presence of two of India’s most experienced campaigners will be invaluable for Gill, both in terms of decision-making and handling the pressures of leadership.

“He has the temperament and the skill to lead, but the growth in captaincy and tactics is something that will take a couple of seasons to grow into. I’m sure he’ll get help from the two veterans,” he said.

Asked about the possibility of Rohit and Kohli featuring in the 2027 World Cup, Bishop said it would depend on their motivation and fitness.

“That’s their decision. I can’t answer that for Rohit or for Virat or for the BCCI. It depends on what their determination and skill is like. They’ve been fine so far,” he added.

India wrapped up the home Test series against the West Indies with a comprehensive performance, underlining the gulf in quality between the two sides.

But Bishop saw encouraging signs for the visitors too, highlighting the batting efforts of Shai Hope, John Campbell and Justin Greaves, and the bowling of Jomel Warrican.

“From a West Indian perspective, it was great to see a few of the batters spending time at the crease. The trust they showed in the pitch was excellent,” Bishop said.

“It’s not that they’ve arrived, but they’ve put some building blocks in place”, he concluded.