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Shubman Gill’s Leadership Masterstroke: Why Gavaskar is All Praise!

Shubman Gill in Indian Test jersey preparing to bat, Duleep Trophy 2025 captain

Shubman Gill’s Leadership Masterstroke: Why Gavaskar is All Praise!

Shubman Gill Appointed North Zone Captain for Duleep Trophy 2025 – Sunil Gavaskar Calls it a Big Plus

After an incredible run of 754 runs in five Tests during an England summer, in which he was appointed as Test captain of India, Shubman Gill could have taken time off from cricket. Instead, he chose to captain North Zone in Duleep Trophy and former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar said it was a great boost for Indian domestic cricket.

Gavaskar is really impressed with Gill’s dedication.

In his Sportstar column, Gavaskar complimented Gill for playing domestic cricket again so soon after the England tour, like only a month later. The BCCI helped make this happen by pushing back the Bangladesh tour and not planning a short-format series in Sri Lanka. This gave top players a chance to play in the domestic season.

“Shubman Gill, captaining the North Zone team, is a massive shot in the arm for this tournament. By being available, the Indian skipper is sending the right signal to the other members of the team,” Gavaskar wrote.

He also mentioned that while fast bowlers are resting after a tough tour, Gill’s choice to keep playing shows he’s serious about playing first-class cricket for a long time.

Gill’s Incredible England Series Performance

Gill’s figures in the recent Test series vs. England were phenomenal:

These performances have established Gill not just India’s new Test leader but also has established him as one of the world’s most prolific openers. 754 runs in 5 Test matches – second only to Gavaskar’s 774 vs. West Indies in the 1971 series

Gill led India in a drawn 2-2 Test match series after the retirements of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and R. Ashwin from red-ball cricket.

North Zone Squad – Old Guys and Young Guns

Gill’s North Zone team for the Duleep Trophy 2025 has both experienced players and some talented youngsters:

Shubman Gill (Captain, PCA)

  • Ankit Kumar (Vice-Captain, HCA) – Haryana’s best run-scorer in the 2024-25 Ranji season
  • Shubham Khajuria (JKCA) – a senior opening batsman with experience in domestic cricket
  • Ayush Badoni, Yash Dhull, Ankit Kalsi – all have played in U-19 games and the IPL
  • Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj – lead the fast bowling attack
  • Auqib Nabi (JKCA) – took 44 wickets at an average of just 13.93 in the last Ranji season

The Jammu & Kashmir group is pretty strong, with five players on the team.

The 2025-26 domestic season brings back the traditional zonal format for the Duleep Trophy. Shubman Gill’s work makes sure that the game will get more eyes, mostly from young ones trying to get into the Indian Test setup.

With domestic cricket now key for top ones, this time may shape India’s next big stars. Shubman Gill’s choice to play in the Duleep Trophy, even with a busy world wide game list, shows his big aim — not just for him, but for all of Indian cricket. With the great Sunil Gavaskar’s push and a strong North Zone team with him, Gill’s lead might start a new time for home cricket in India.

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