Former Indian cricket coach Greg Chappell has lauded Shubman Gill for his potential as a leader but also advised him to work on one critical aspect — communication. While Gill has impressed with his batting and captaincy during the ongoing Test series against England, India currently trails 1-2 in the five-match series.
Leadership Beyond Batting Performance
Chappell emphasised that outstanding leadership goes beyond scoring runs. He said that to build a prosperous and united team, Gill must improve his ability to communicate effectively with his players, not just lead by example with the bat.
“𝑨 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒂 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓. 𝑺𝒉𝒖𝒃𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒐𝒏,” 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝑬𝑺𝑷𝑵 𝑪𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒏.
He added that communication should be calm, clear, and consistent — whether it’s during matches, training sessions, or inside the dressing room. According to Chappell, this is essential for fostering trust and unity within the squad.
Building a Core Group and Defining Roles
Chappell also stressed the importance of forming a reliable core group within the team. He believes that Gill and the selectors must collaborate to clearly define each player’s role, thereby avoiding confusion and self-assigned responsibilities.
“𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒅.
In his view, uncertainty in roles often leads to failure at the international level, and removing that ambiguity is crucial for long-term success.
As India prepares for the crucial fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester, beginning on July 23, all eyes will be on Shubman Gill — not just as a batsman, but as a captain and communicator.
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