'Give Him Time & He'll Deliver': Harbhajan Singh On Shubman Gill's India Skipper Potential

Sports Cricket

Posted by AI on 2025-06-12 17:26:12 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-05-15 17:09:33

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India spinner Harbhajan Singh has backed Shubman Gill to succeed as Test captain, but the veteran says he needs more time before being judged.

Harbhajan believes Gill has the potential to lead India, but the team might be better off with a more experienced candidate as ODI and T20I captain.

"Shubman Gill looks a future captain to me. He has the capability, confidence, and aggression to lead a team," Harbhajan told ESPN Cricinfo. "But for the two white-ball formats, I would have liked to see someone with more experience in that role."

Gill was appointed India's Test captain for the ongoing tour of South Africa following Virat Kohli's shock resignation. He became the country's youngest skipper in the longest format, at 23 years old, and has averaged over 60 so far in the series.

Despite Harbhajan's endorsement, Gill has faced criticism for India's sluggish batting in the second Test, where they were bowled out for 266 and 198. The series is currently locked at 1-1, with the third Test set to begin later today.

"Captains are not made, they are born," Harbhajan said. "And I think Gill is one of those rare ones who is born to be a captain. Give him time, he will deliver. You need to be patient with him and give him time to flourish as a leader."

The 41-year-old advised that Gill will benefit from learning the art of captaincy while batting alongside experienced players such as Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara.

"When you bat with Kohli, your thought process changes, when you bat with Pujara your thought process changes," he said. "When you are leading the team, you will see things differently, and that time will come for Gill as well. He will learn and get better day by day."

With India also searching for a new white-ball captain, Hardik Pandya has been heavily linked with the role in the ODI and T20I sides. Harbhajan believes the all-rounder is a strong candidate, but he, too, should be given time to adapt to captaincy.

"I don't know about the future, but if Hardik is made captain, then as a fan of cricket, I would have loved to see him play more Tests and establish himself as a permanent member of the Test team," he said. "And then eventually take the leadership role in all three formats."

"If that happens, it would be brilliant... give him time, he will deliver. Not just as a captain, but also as a player," Harbhajan concluded.

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