'You'll be criticised for captaincy as well': Gavaskar's candid verdict on Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill 's remarkable purple patch continued on Wednesday as the India captain produced another batting masterclass, prompting high praise from Sunil Gavaskar after India's emphatic ODI series-clinching victory over Afghanistan in Lucknow.
Gill has enjoyed a stunning run of form over the past three weeks, piling up runs across formats and competitions. The 26-year-old began the sequence with a commanding century for Gujarat Titans against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 before registering his 11th Test hundred in the one-off Test against Afghanistan. He then followed an unbeaten 85 in the rain-affected ODI in Dharamsala with a magnificent 154 in Lucknow as India secured a dominant win.
The latest innings came in challenging conditions and helped set up India's massive total of 402. Gill shared a match-defining 224-run stand with Ishan Kishan , who blasted 125, as the pair completely took the game away from Afghanistan.
Speaking on JioStar's 'Cricket Live' show, Gavaskar said Gill's success with the bat was also having a positive impact on his captaincy.
"When you're not getting runs, you're not confident about making those marginal moves that come from your gut feel, like holding back a bowler who has bowled well, giving him an extra over, or moving a fielder from a certain position. That gut feel is a lot stronger when you're personally performing. But if you're not performing, even when you get a gut feel, you're apprehensive about making that call because you're worried about getting it wrong. Since you're also not performing as a player, you'll be criticised for your captaincy as well," Gavaskar said.
While Gill and Kishan stole the spotlight with the bat, India's young fast bowlers also played a key role in completing the victory. Afghanistan were dismissed for 232, with rookie pacers Gurnoor Brar and Prince Yadav combining for five wickets.
Gavaskar was particularly impressed by Brar's performance, praising both his bowling rhythm and ability to trouble batters with steep bounce.
Gill has enjoyed a stunning run of form over the past three weeks, piling up runs across formats and competitions. The 26-year-old began the sequence with a commanding century for Gujarat Titans against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026 Qualifier 2 before registering his 11th Test hundred in the one-off Test against Afghanistan. He then followed an unbeaten 85 in the rain-affected ODI in Dharamsala with a magnificent 154 in Lucknow as India secured a dominant win.
Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir's masterstroke for 2027 ODI World Cup
The latest innings came in challenging conditions and helped set up India's massive total of 402. Gill shared a match-defining 224-run stand with Ishan Kishan , who blasted 125, as the pair completely took the game away from Afghanistan.
Speaking on JioStar's 'Cricket Live' show, Gavaskar said Gill's success with the bat was also having a positive impact on his captaincy.
"When you're not getting runs, you're not confident about making those marginal moves that come from your gut feel, like holding back a bowler who has bowled well, giving him an extra over, or moving a fielder from a certain position. That gut feel is a lot stronger when you're personally performing. But if you're not performing, even when you get a gut feel, you're apprehensive about making that call because you're worried about getting it wrong. Since you're also not performing as a player, you'll be criticised for your captaincy as well," Gavaskar said.
While Gill and Kishan stole the spotlight with the bat, India's young fast bowlers also played a key role in completing the victory. Afghanistan were dismissed for 232, with rookie pacers Gurnoor Brar and Prince Yadav combining for five wickets.
Gavaskar was particularly impressed by Brar's performance, praising both his bowling rhythm and ability to trouble batters with steep bounce.
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