'Sometimes weight of leadership would bear heavy…’: Shubman Gill's captaincy verdict out as GT close to playoffs spot

Gujarat Titans director of cricket Vikram Solanki has been impressed with how Shubman Gill has thrived under pressure so far in IPL 2025. Shubman, who took over the captaincy charge of GT last season, has led them to 7 wins in 10 matches so far this year, inching closer to a playoffs spot. The 24-year-old has been a proactive captain on the field and has also had a few arguments with umpires on the field. In his first season as GT captain, he failed to take his team to the playoffs, but this year, with better planning and a balanced squad, he has flourished in the leadership role.

Solanki expressed his pleasure to witness the growth of Shubman Gill's captaincy, which adds another dimension to his game after proving his batting prowess on the big stage.

“He’s an outstanding batsman and really has a bright future as far as his batting is concerned, but what’s pleasing to see is that he’s growing as far as leadership is concerned, and he’s really grown into the role of captaincy. So that’s great to see," said Solanki in the pre-game press conference.

Meanwhile, the GT director of cricket admitted that sometimes a good batter fails to bear the heavy responsibility of leadership, but he suggested that it's nothing like that with Gill.

"When you have somebody who is as gifted, as talented, and as exceptional as Shubman is as a batsman, sometimes you might have concerns about whether the weight of leadership would bear heavy. I don’t think that’s been the case. I think you sometimes see that people thrive in those sorts of responsibility roles, and Shubman certainly has done that," he added.

‘Shubman, Sudharsan similar in terms of how they approach the game’

Shubman has also found a perfect foil in left-handed Sai Sudharsan as opening partner. On his part, Sudharsan has topped the charts for the Titans with 504 runs in 10 matches at 50.40 and a strike rate of 154.12 with five half-centuries. He is second in the Orange Cap race, right below Virat Kohli - 505 runs.

Solanki asserted that two complements each other quite well with their similar approach towards the game.

"You can only credit them to their hard work, credit their success, credit their partnership to their hard work,” he said.

"There is the nuance that they are similar in terms of how they approach the game. They are fairly traditional in terms of how they set themselves up for the game. They have, at the very base, a solid technique and an understanding and appreciation for facing that new ball where you can have some movement," he added.