Jos Buttler believes Shubman Gill’s leadership style as India’s new Test captain will combine the fiery intensity of Virat Kohli with the relaxed composure of Rohit Sharma. Speaking on his podcast For the Love of Cricket with Stuart Broad, Buttler praised Gill’s ability to be “his own man” while drawing from the best traits of his predecessors.
Gill’s leadership: A balanced blend
Having played under Gill’s captaincy for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL this year, Buttler observed that while Gill is calm and measured off the field, he brings a passionate and competitive edge on it. Buttler said, “He’s got a bit of fight about him; a bit of intensity, quite passionate. I think he’ll be a mix of Kohli and Rohit.” He explained how Kohli’s aggressive leadership “transformed” the Indian team, while Rohit’s style was more laid-back but equally effective. Gill, according to Buttler, falls somewhere in between and will lead with his own unique approach.
Buttler, who has spent significant time in India, also highlighted the enormous pressure Gill will face as captain, noting the immense stardom and expectations in Indian cricket. He cautioned that balancing captaincy with batting could be challenging, referencing his own struggles in England’s white-ball captaincy.
𝑩𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒅, “𝑯𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈; 𝒔𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆’𝒔 𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒔.”
He concluded by emphasizing the significance of Gill’s new role: “Stepping into that No. 4 spot, following legends like Kohli and Tendulkar, is a huge responsibility. But he’s the ‘prince’ ready to lead India’s next chapter.”
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