New Delhi, May 25 (IANS) Newly appointed India Test captain Shubman Gill said that the upcoming five-Test series against England is going to be an exciting one and the team is ready for any challenge that comes ahead of the tour starting on June 20.

Gill has taken over as India’s captain at a time when senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and veteran all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin have retired from Test cricket. India’s touring party will be young, and many of the squad members will be travelling to England for the first time.

“It is definitely a bit overwhelming. As a young kid, when anyone starts playing cricket, they want to play for India and not just play for India, play Test cricket for a very long time,” Gill said in an interview posted on BCCI’s website.

“To be able to get this opportunity is a great honour, and it’s a big responsibility. I’m looking forward to this exciting opportunity, and the upcoming series against England is going to be an exciting one.”

Reflecting on his thoughts on how he will lead the side, Gill hinted that he will be the players’ captain who will back his teammates.

“I believe in leading by example, not just by performance, but I think off the field by discipline and hard work. As a captain, a leader should be able to know when to step in and also when to give space to the players,” the opening batter said.

“A good leader should always be able to know what makes their players able to have the best performance or the best outcome.

“That is always exciting to people to have those conversations with the players, to be able to know them on a deeper level than just cricket, you know, because then you’re really able to know what can get the best out of them,” he added.

The 25-year-old said he will use his approach as a batter while making decisions on the field. “One of the things that I learned was if I’m a batsman, I’m batting out there, I want to be able to make decisions as a batsman and not as a captain.

“If I start thinking about other things, it just puts more pressure on me, which is not required, you know, because when you’re batting out there, you want to be able to take those risks.

“You want to be able to make decisions that you would make when you are playing just as the batsman because that gives you the freedom,” he said.

Gill shared his experience of playing with legends like Rohit and Kohli and learning different aspects of the game from their contrasting personalities.

“When I was a kid, I was always inspired by the greats and the legends of Indian cricket and have been very fortunate to be able to play with so many of them,” he said.

“Be it Virat bhai or Rohit bhai, both were very contrasting in terms of style, but it was very inspiring to see both of them working towards a common goal. You want to be able to win as a captain, and your styles can be different, but they both were very different, but also similar in their own sense.

“Virat bhai was always very aggressive, always wanting to lead from the front with hunger and passion. Rohit bhai was very calm and technically, always very present, and he’s very communicative with the players about what he wants from them. And so these are the qualities that I learned from them.

“Guys like Virat bhai, Rohit bhai, and Ashwin bhai, they have given us a blueprint on how to tour away from home and win matches and series. It’s one thing to be able to deliver and execute, but because we have that blueprint, we know how to tour away from home and win matches and series,” Gill added.

Looking ahead to the upcoming five-Test series in England, Gill is keen to embrace the challenge. He carries positive memories from the recent home series against England, where he finished as the second-highest run-scorer, amassing 452 runs across nine innings.

“My favourite series that I played was also the five-Test match series when England came to India. There’s a different essence when you are playing a five-Test series. It’s long, it’s mentally and physically very challenging.

“That’s the most exciting thing that I find about red-ball cricket. It’s not going to be easy, but I think we’re ready for any challenge.”

India’s Test series against England will take place from June 20 to August 4, with Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford and The Oval being the venues. India are aiming to win a Test series in England for the first time since 2007.

–IANS

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