"They are in good hands": Steve Waugh believes Gill needs "time to grow" into captaincy role

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 26 (ANI): Former Australian cricketer Steve Waugh believes that despite Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's sudden Test retirements, India is in "good hands" with the five high-stakes Tests on the horizon.

India's transition phase truly kicked in after India's batting bigwigs bid adieu to Test cricket, and Shubman Gill was deemed Rohit's red-ball successor to lead India in England, scheduled to begin on June 20 at Headingley.

Waugh believes Gill, who is still learning the art of captaincy, considering his stint with the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL), is a "good choice". However, the 59-year-old was quick to highlight the importance of giving Gill time to grow into that role.

"But they're in good hands. Shubham Gill is an excellent player. Very good under pressure. Thinks well. He's respected by his team, so he'll be a good choice, but you've got to give him time to grow into the role. It's a big responsibility. Representing 1.4 to 1.5 billion people. A lot of pressure," Waugh told ANI.

Following his appointment, Gill, 25, became one of the youngest players to hold the position in recent years. Though he lacks captaincy experience in the red-ball format, he led India in a five-match T20I assignment in Zimbabwe in 2024, days after India's T20 World Cup success in Barbados.

Gill has also served as vice-captain in ODIs and T20Is. He was Rohit's deputy in India's victorious Champions Trophy campaign in the UAE in February 2025. In the red-ball setup, Gill has featured in 32 matches and scored 1,893 runs, including five centuries.

Ahead of his first assignment, Gill, "overwhelmed" by the emotions, described his feelings and said, "As a young kid, when anyone starts playing cricket, they want to play for India, and not just play for India, but play test cricket for India for a very long time. To be able to get this opportunity is a great honour. And like you said, it is a big responsibility." (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)