Published 16:37 IST, September 12th 2020
Shubman Gill to speak up for KKR's Indian youngsters in 'leadership group' during IPL 2020
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star Shubhman Gill will speak up for youngsters in the set up after being made part of the franchise's leadership group.
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Since Gautam Gambhir’s departure ahead of the 2018 IPL season, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have trusted youngsters to form the core of their side, with the likes of Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill and Kamlesh Nagarkoti all being potential candidates for making it to the playing XI. The trio were part of the 2018 U-19 World Cup squad and made a seamless transition to the IPL, with Shubman Gill even made a part of KKR's leadership group. The 21-year-old is the second-youngest player in the Kolkata Knight Riders, but understands his responsibilities and hopes to take it in his stride.
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IPL 2020: Shubhman Gill wants to be the voice of new players in the KKR setup
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo ahead of the upcoming IPL 2020 season, Shubhman Gill said that he felt good to be a part of the leadership group and hopes that he can represent the new players coming into the Kolkata Knight Riders team. The 21-year-old added that his responsibility is to help the youngsters feel settled and appease their concerns during the course of the IPL 2020 season. Shubhman Gill added that he is also exploring other aspects of leadership and is keen to embrace the calmness that coach Brendon McCullum portrayed during his stint as New Zealand captain. The Punjab batsman added that he aims to learn how to analyse the match from different angles and believes it is one of the key traits in leadership.
Speaking of the leadership group consisting Dinesh Karthik and co., Shubman Gill heaped special praise on England's World Cup winning skipper Eoin Morgan, who will join the Kolkata Knight Riders team after the Australia series. Gill said that he wanted to pick on the brains of Morgan and McCullum on how they go about planning games as he takes strides into the leadership part of the game. While the 21-year-old remains keen to experiment with captaincy, he is not willing to do so with the bat.
Shubhman Gill, having played as a finisher in 2018 and for the most of 2019, was promoted to the top of the order and repaid the faith by scoring heavily. Kolkata Knight Riders eye him as the senior opener for the IPL 2020 campaign, with the likes of Rahul Tripathi, Tom Banton and Sunil Narine who could potentially take up the other slot. Shubman Gill added that his role doesn't change after being made the senior opener and will continue to guide the whole innings till the end. Talking on being used a finisher by Dinesh Karthik last season, Gill said that the experience taught him a lot it helped him look at the game from different angles and understand various aspects of the game.
(Image Courtesy: Shubhman Gill Instagram)
16:37 IST, September 12th 2020