Shubman Gill acknowledges pressure of following Kohli and Sharma’s legacy

As India gears up for a five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe starting this Saturday, all eyes are on Shubman Gill, who will lead the team in the absence of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Gill, known for his impressive batting skills, acknowledges the weight of carrying forward the legacy left by Kohli and Sharma, who retired from T20Is after India's recent T20 World Cup triumph in 2024. In a pre-match press conference, Gill expressed both the challenge and honor of stepping into their shoes.

“Pressure and expectations are always there. But I think what Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have achieved, if I go after achieving or reaching it then it will be difficult. Every player has his individual goals where he wants to reach so that pressure itself is there. And if you’re looking to reach where someone has already achieved then you’re under even more pressure,” Gill said.

Despite the daunting task, Gill emphasized that he sees Kohli and Sharma as idols and legends of Indian cricket, alleviating the pressure in terms of personal achievement. However, he highlighted the collective team goals as the primary focus.

“Obviously, pressure is there, but what they’ve achieved what they’ve done for India, there’s no pressure on that front as they’re both my idols and legend of Indian cricket. But what we want to collectively achieve as a team, the pressure is always there for that,” he further added.

India vs Zimbabwe T20I series squads

India: Ꮪhubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande.

Zimbabwe: Sikandar Raza (captain), Faraz Akram, Brian Bennett, Johnathan Campbell, Tendai Chatara, Luke Jongwe, Innocent Kaia, Clive Madande, Wessly Madhevere, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Brandon Mavuta, Blessing Muzarabani, Dion Myers, Antum Naqvi, Richard Ngarava, Milton Shumba.