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Former South African batter AB de Villiers recently stated that he expected the Gujarat Titans (GT) to appoint Kane Williamson as the skipper following Hardik Pandya's departure. Gujarat, however, handed the captaincy reins to young Indian opening batter Shubman Gill.
De Villiers feels that Williamson is a proven leader and has significant experience captaining a team. He reckons that the management should have allowed Gill to cement his place across formats in the Indian team before handing him the leadership duties.
In a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, de Villiers said:
"The minute I saw Kane Williamson's name as a retained player, I thought there was a fantastic opportunity to give an experienced player who has done it before an opportunity to captain for you. Give Shubman Gill the opportunity just to cement in all the formats in Indian cricket and just to have another good season at the IPL."
While AB de Villiers believes that Gill will excel in the new role, he claimed the better approach would have been to groom him for captaincy by making him play under Williamson.
"They decided to throw him in as captain," he elaborated. "It may pay off; I am not saying it is wrong. I am saying that it was a great opportunity for Shubman just to learn a little bit and know that the plan is for him to be captain in 2025. Nonetheless, I am excited to watch him perform and lead from the front."
Shubman Gill has been on a roll this year, proving his mettle in international cricket as well as in the IPL. With 890 runs in 17 outings, he was the Orange Cap winner in IPL 2023.
"I am delighted and proud to assume the captaincy" - Shubman Gill on his new role with GT
Shubman Gill expressed his excitement after being named captain of the Gujarat Titans ahead of the upcoming edition. He thanked the team management for entrusting him with the responsibility.
Gill said in a statement:
"I am delighted and proud to assume the captaincy of Gujarat Titans and thank the franchise for their trust in me to lead such a fine team. We have had two exceptional seasons and I keenly look forward to leading the team with our exciting brand of cricket."
Gujarat announced themselves in the IPL by clinching the championship title in their maiden appearance in 2022. The side followed it up with a runners-up finish in 2023, suffering a narrow loss to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a last-ball thriller in the final.
