In addition to defending Shubman Gill at Eden Gardens, Sourav Ganguly essentially offered a character certificate. Someone in the audience questioned him if Gill ought to be India's T20I captain.
Ganguly's response was pure Dada: he claimed that Gill "should be captain of everything because he's so good," but then he reminded them that just three months prior, the same Gill was in England, captaining a youthful team without Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli and "looking like gold" with the bat.
The true core of Ganguly's brief tirade is the contrast between Gill's actions and the speed at which the story has changed. The ecosystem's growing impatience with its new leaders already irritated the former India captain.
“The other day I was sitting at Eden Gardens, and somebody came and told me, ‘You think Shubman Gill should be captain of T20I?’ I said, ‘He should be captain of everything because he’s so good.’ And I asked him that three months ago; that fellow was in England, and he looked like gold—batting, captaincy, got a young team to fight, no Kohli, no Rohit Sharma. And in three months’ time, you’re asking questions. That’s the mindset of people. And it happens to someone who makes decisions all the time...you have to be patient; you have to allow somebody to become better,” Ganguly said on Bandhan Bank’s The Captain’s Calm podcast.
Shubman Gill had taken over as India Test captain after Rohit Sharma retired from the format and was recently named the India ODI captain as well, ahead of the Australia white-ball tour. Gill has also been named the vice-captain of the T20I squad. Gill has done well by leveling the England series 2-2 and winning at home against the West Indies.
