Ashwin feels Shubman might be feeling the weight of expectations.
Shubman Gill has been handed the Test captaincy as India embark on a new World Test Championship cycle with the England tour, starting June 20 in Leeds.
India’s Test captaincy post was vacant after Rohit Sharma’s sudden retirement from the longest format earlier this month.
Even though Jasprit Bumrah had led India in a couple of Test matches in Rohit’s absence during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25, the selectors put their faith on Gill for the leadership role.
Sharing his thoughts on the BCCI selectors’ decision, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said that Shubman might be feeling the weight of expectations.
"I think Gill is already too overwhelmed by the attention and responsibility he has got. If I was in his place with such a high-pressure job, I would want to have a very good start as a batsman," Ashwin said while speaking on Revsportz.
He highlighted the challenging batting conditions in England, and stated that Gill will have to prove himself both as captain and batter.
"As a batter, he will have his share of questions on his place, as England can be a very tough place to bat. But if he makes runs, runs will give confidence and that would in turn rub on to captaincy," he said.
Hailing Gill as a "very special player", Ashwin added, "I hope he gets off to a very good start to avoid any questions raised. But I think Rishabh goes into the series with a lot more certainty than Shubman. Test cricket is a lot about game awareness that grows and develops. In a recent Test against England in Ranchi, Shubman's second-innings 50 spoke volumes of his attitude and transforming potential."
Ashwin also commented on the Test retirement of Virat Kohli, who stepped away from the traditional format on May 12, just weeks before the England series.
When asked whether India will miss Kohli in the forthcoming series, Ashwin said, "I do not think anybody who has played the game, or will play the game, is higher than the game itself. Nobody that walks the park does good for the game - the game does good or bad by them. I love Virat, but he has come, played the game, left the game, left it at a great place. It is for someone else to take it forward."
He expressed confident that young players like Gill, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel will step up to the plate.
"Now looking forward to the attitude and desire of talents like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel to take it ahead. It's time to see if they can replicate the intense energy that players like Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar showed on the field all these years. Having said that, it is everyone's responsibility in the team to show that energy and desire," Ashwin remarked.
India's Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.