Follow UsSunil Gavaskar has rubbished the idea that Rohit Sharma might deliberately underperform to undermine Shubman Gill, who recently took over the ODI captaincy. In his column for Sportstar, the former India captain addressed the widespread assumption among fans that former skippers might not give their best once removed from leadership roles.
“A significant misconception among Indian cricket fans is that if a player is replaced as captain, he will attempt to undermine the new captain by not performing to the best of his ability. Nothing can be further from the truth, for the simple fact is that if a captain has been replaced and then doesn’t perform, he could be out of the team altogether. So, no player, however aggrieved he may feel at losing the captaincy, is ever going to underperform deliberately.” Gavaskar wrote.
Gavaskar also spoke about how Gill is being questioned over his ability to manage senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of whom are part of the current ODI squad.
“With that misconception still going strong, many are questioning if young Shubman Gill will be able to handle two former captains, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who are part of the three-match One-Day International series against Australia. Gill has gone out of his way to say that his equation with them hasn’t changed simply because he is the captain now,” he said.
Rather than being a threat, Gavaskar believes the presence of experienced players will be an asset to the young captain.
“If anything, he will only benefit by having these two stalwarts by his side. Both would be happy to offer suggestions if asked, and what could be better for a captain leading in this format for the first time than to have two of the greatest ODI players playing in his team?” he added.
India have already lost the first ODI in Perth and will now play the second ODI in Adelaide on October 23.