Kaif pointed out that Gill has minimal captaincy exposure in domestic first-class cricket.
The second and final Test between India and Sri Lanka ended in a draw in Colombo, a result that significantly dented Shubman Gill-led side’s World Test Championship (WTC) final hopes.
Batting first in the second Test, India declared at 503/9 before bowling the hosts out for 290 to secure a 213-run first-innings lead.
The tourists enforced the follow-on, but Sri Lanka showed remarkable resilience in their second innings. They reached 429/9 on the back of Sonal Dinusha’s unbeaten 133, taking a lead of 216 runs, before both captains agreed to shake hands and settle for a draw.
While India clinched the series 1-0, they dropped points in Colombo and remained fifth in the WTC rankings. The visitors needed just four wickets to wrap up the innings and chase a small target on Day 5, but managed to dismiss only three lower-order players.
Reflecting on the result, former cricketer Mohammad Kaif claimed that Gill lacked enough experienced voices around him to guide India through a challenging final day in Colombo. He observed that the Indian captain appeared to be "reaching out for help" during Sri Lanka’s determined resistance.
“Shubman Gill, somewhere in the middle, looked like he was reaching out for help. He did not have too many experienced players in his team either. KL Rahul is there, of course, as the vice-captain, Rishabh Pant is there, and Jadeja has played around 90 Test matches, but he does not really come into the leadership role. They did not have many leadership-type players in the team.”
“Many times, I saw Shubman Gill going up to the bowlers, and there were also instances when they bowled two wides down the leg side. You would think, ‘We are trying to keep Sonal away, so let’s bowl a dot ball. It is the last ball of the over, so let’s bowl it outside.’ They had planned things to that extent throughout the Test match," Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
Kaif was baffled by how "helpless" India looked against Dinusha, highlighting that the visiting bowlers lacked the execution needed to force a result.
“It was something we had never really seen before. The Indian team looked so helpless at times. Against Sonal, they were trying to bowl a dot ball with the last ball of the over. So overall, I think Shubman Gill will be a little disappointed,” he added.
Kaif mentioned that a smoother leadership transition typically requires a young captain to spend a few years commanding a side stacked with experienced seniors. Without that veteran cushion in Colombo, Gill had fewer seasoned minds to rely on when tactics stalled.
“So, how does a transition happen? You have senior players in your team, and a new player becomes captain. He stays with the seniors for a year or two, and by spending time with them, he also learns. By the time the seniors leave, you have already captained for three or four years. You have covered all the angles and learned along the way, right?" he remarked.
Kaif also pointed out that Gill has minimal captaincy exposure in domestic first-class cricket. While the Punjab lad possesses white-ball leadership experience, he has largely skipped the traditional pathway of leading extensively in the Ranji Trophy before handling five-day Test dynamics.
“Shubman Gill has only captained in two Ranji Trophy matches. That is it. He does not have much four-day experience. He has white-ball experience, yes, but he has been playing more four-day and five-day matches with the Indian team. He has not really come through the ranks by captaining in the Ranji Trophy,” he concluded.