IPL: Shubman Gill Named GT Captain After Hardik Pandya's Exit

Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Gujarat Titans (GT) on Monday confirmed that star batter Shubman Gill will take over the captaincy following Hardik Pandya’s exit. Pandya, who captained the side as Gujarat won the title in their inaugural IPL campaign in 2022, traded to Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of IPL 2024.

With Hardik Pandya’s exit, Gujarat had several options to take over the captaincy in Kane Williamson and Rashid Khan, however, they went for the young prodigy Shubman Gill, who is projected to be Indian cricket’s next big thing.

In a statement released by Gujarat Titans, Shubman Gill was quoted as saying, “I am delighted and proud to assume the captaincy of Gujarat Titans and thank the franchise for their trust in me to lead such a fine team.”

"We have had two exceptional seasons and I keenly look forward to leading the team with our exciting brand of cricket,” added newly crowned captain Shubman Gill.

It may be noted that Shubman Gill made his IPL debut in 2018 after he was named the Man of the Tournament in India’s U-19 title winning team under the captaincy of Prithvi Shaw. In the 2023 edition of the IPL, Shubman Gill scored a staggering 890 runs in the 17 matches he came out to bat.

Whether Shubman Gill's sublime form will remain intact with the added responsibility of leading the side, or will he flourish and make doubters look silly, it remains to be seen.

It may be noted that on Sunday, reports emerged of Pandya making the switch to his old side Mumbai Indians. This was moments after Gujarat Titans released their list of retained players which included his name alongside the likes of Shubman Gill, ahead of the deadline to submit the retained players’ list.