3 reasons why Shubman Gill as GT captain for IPL 2024 is the wrong move

Shubman Gill has been appointed as the captain of Gujarat Titans (GT) for IPL 2024. The announcement was made after Hardik Pandya, their captain for the last two seasons, was traded to Mumbai Indians.

The 24-year-old opener has had a prolific 12 months with the bat in international cricket and was the highest run-scorer in IPL 2023. Gill has been instrumental in the success of the GT franchise that won the IPL 2022 in their maiden outing and ended up as runners-up last season.

Though Gill could be looked at as a future captaincy prospect for GT, the move to appoint him skipper for IPL 2024 could be a hasty one. Here is a look at three reasons why the appointment of Gill as GT captain for IPL 2024 is the wrong move:

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#1 Could be saddled with the burden of captaincy at a young age-

Gill has scored nine international hundreds in his brief career

Captaincy is a two-way sword. At times it brings out the best in a player and on other occasions it could hamper the progress of a player.

Gill has been the most consistent player for India in the last 12 months and has made rapid strides in international cricket. He was the highest run scorer in IPL 2023 and rightfully claimed the Orange Cap.

Captaining an IPL team is not an easy task and it could affect Gill's batting form. At present, Gill has probably hit the purple patch and is in the form of his life and the captaincy burden could have an adverse effect.

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#2 Have an experienced leader in Kane Williamson-

Kane Williamson could have been a handy skipper for GT in IPL 2024

GT have one of the calmest leaders in their ranks- Kane Williamson. The Kiwi has successfully led New Zealand to success in all three formats. Apart from that, Williamson also has the experience of captaining an IPL side and knows the tricks of the trade.

GT could have named Gill as Williamson's deputy so that he could be groomed as the future skipper of the side. Williamson's calm demeanor as a skipper, both on and off the field, could have been a valuable lesson for a young Gill.

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#3 Lot of senior players in the GT squad-

There are quite a few senior players in the GT squad. The likes of David Miller, Kane Williamson, Wriddhiman Saha, Matthew Wade and Mohammed Shami, to name of few, have played international and franchise cricket for more than a decade and are far experienced than Shubman Gill.

At times, having experienced international as well as domestic players in the squad could dampen the spirits of a young skipper and could affect his performance. Though Gill has been exceptional in international cricket as well as in the IPL, captaining a team comprising far more experienced players, from around the world, could be challenging.

It is pertinent to note that only seven captains (MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir, David Warner, Hardik Pandya, Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist) have won the IPL to date and all the said captains had ample experience playing international cricket for a considerable period of time.