Former England cricketer Monty Panesar has spoken about the pressure on India’s ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill and why he can’t be an all-format captain for the side. Panesar also spoke about how ‘complacent’ Gill cannot match the concentration and intensity of Virat Kohli.
BCCI decided to name Shubman Gill the Indian Test captain after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket. He led India to a 2-2 draw in England in Tests and excelled with the bat as well.
Encouraged by his achievement, the board expanded its leadership strategy around him and reintroduced Gill to the T20I squad after more than a year, ahead of the Asia Cup in September. He was reinstalled as vice-captain and, a month later, elevated to ODI captain.
These moves fuelled conjecture that the BCCI was grooming Gill to be India's next all-format captain, with a possible T20I captaincy following the March 2026 T20 World Cup. However, with Shubman Gill failing to prove his mettle in 15 T20Is since his return, scoring 291 runs and no fifty, the BCCI pulled the plug on their plan.
Gill's shot selection was criticized by Monty Panesar, who said he frequently plays lazy shots despite praising his innate talent. He continued by saying that Kohli's aggressiveness and energy were characteristics of his captaincy in all formats—qualities that Gill, in Panesar's opinion, now lacks.
"He is a complacent cricketer. He has a lot of talent, but he starts playing lazy shots in the game. Virat Kohli's intensity and aggression are evident in all formats. Shubman Gill can't do that. Too much burden for him. He can't be the captain of all formats. It is too much for him," Panesar told ANI.
Panesar also reckoned that India is unlikely to miss Kohli in white-ball cricket but said his absence is clearly being felt in the Test format.
"In the white-ball format, you won't miss Virat Kohli that much. But yes, in Test Cricket, it's evident that Virat Kohli is not there, and the team's intensity is lower," Panesar added.
Meanwhile, after being dropped from India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad, Shubman Gill has shifted his focus towards the 50-over cricket as India will host New Zealand in a three-match ODI series from January 11.
Gill will feature in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy for Punjab to gain match practice and a mental boost.
