"I was critical of him when he was playing for KKR" - Former England star takes U-turn on Shubman Gill after ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has commended reigning India Test skipper Shubman Gill for his turnaround with the bat in the longest format. The remarks came after he smashed 147 & 8, 269 & 161 in the first two Tests of the five-match series against England at Headingley and Edgbaston, respectively.

While crediting Gill for making technical adjustments with the bat, the cricketer-turned-analyst shared how he was critical of his batting during his stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Kevin Pietersen told Sports Tak:

“1:46 – Shubman Gill has become more busy at the crease. I remember being a little bit critical of him when he was playing for KKR a few years ago in commentary, saying he looked lazy and slow at the wicket. He has become busier as a batter, and I actually said that to him in the IPL."

"I said when you become a lot more busy and I like you’re busy… I like the more committed you are on the front foot and back foot. So, the great shot that he is playing is the pull shot,” he added.

Pietersen further expressed his gratitude to Gill for his turnaround while quoting his old tweet for the Punjab batter. The 45-year-old continued:

“2:15 – He’s an absolute star. So, I am just grateful because I put my head on the bloke a few years ago when I said, 'Please leave Shubman Gill alone, he’s a quality player,' when he wasn’t scoring runs. So, luckily, he’s coming good.”

“He did captaincy very well” – Yuvraj Singh lauds Shubman Gill for leading by example in the first two Tests in England

Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has also lauded Shubman Gill for leading from the front in the first two Tests in England. The two-time World Cup-winning player said on Sports Tak’s YouTube channel:

“1:11 I think I like (both Shubman Gill’s captaincy and batting) the way he has taken the responsibility. Test captaincy is not an easy job, but the way he has performed [is impressive]. Test captain means you’ve to be the best performer of the team, and he has done that. He did the captaincy very well.”

While backing the visitors to script history in England, Yuvraj also lauded head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar following India’s 336-run triumph in the second Test at Edgbaston. The 43-year-old continued:

“1:31 – I am sure that the credit should be given to Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar as well. The way they built this team, gave responsibility to Gill. I think, hopefully, India will win the Test series.”

The Lord’s in London will host the third Test, beginning July 10. The series is currently tied at 1-1.