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New Delhi [India], October 9 (ANI): Ahead of his side's second Test match against the West Indies, Indian Test skipper Shubman Gill termed the task of leading Team India as a "big responsibility" and "looking forward" to winning as many games as possible for his team.
He also weighed in on the challenges of the new role and pointed out the "mental fatigue" from playing around the year.
The second Test between India and the West Indies will take place from Friday onwards at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium. India is 1-0 up in the series. After India's first Test win in Ahmedabad, shockwaves were sent to the cricketing world by chief selector Ajit Agarkar, who confirmed that Gill has been appointed as ODI captain for India's tour of Australia onwards, replacing Rohit, who had won India back-to-back ICC titles, the T20 World Cup and ICC Champions Trophy within less than a year while championing a fearless brand of cricket.
Speaking during the pre-match presser, Gill said, "Yes, it was announced in the middle of a test match, but I got to know a little before that (of ODI captaincy). It obviously is a big responsibility and an even bigger honour. I am extremely excited to lead my country in that format. And yes, the last few months have been very exciting for me."
"But I am really looking forward to what the future has. I want to stay as present as possible and do not really want to look back on what I've been able to achieve or what we as a team have been able to achieve. I just want to look forward and win everything we have in the upcoming months," he added.
With a hard-fought series draw by 2-2 in England and an Ahmedabad Test win, the Gill era in Tests has got off to a promising start, without legends Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin in the dressing room, as they hung up their boots from the longer format. Along with KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja, Gill is a part of India's powerful batting core.
In 55 ODIs, Gill has scored 2,775 runs at an average of 59.04, striking at 99.56, with eight centuries and 15 fifties in 55 innings and a best score of 208.
Gill admitted that with so much cricket being played and expectations placed on him, he faces mental fatigue as he has to battle with his own expectations as well.
"More than physically. Most of the time I feel fine, but sometimes there is mental fatigue. When you are constantly playing, there is obviously a certain expectation that I have for myself. To be able to keep up with my own expectations sometimes becomes a challenge. I think that is the challenge, to be able to play all the formats for India. I want to play in all formats and succeed in all of them for the country, ultimately winning ICC titles. So if I want to do that, then this is the challenge that I have to go through," he said.
Since his international debut in 2019, Gill has made 6,177 runs in 153 innings at an average of 45.08, with 18 centuries and 26 fifties so far and a best score of 269. Now gaining consistency in Test cricket at the number four spot, all this right-hander has left is to become more power-packed and consistent in T20Is.
Gill is also happy to have Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two of his seniors and India's two massive white-ball match-winners by his side in his debut assignment as an ODI captain. He said that he has inherited qualities of "calmness" and "friendship" from Rohit.
"The experience that both of them have and the matches that they have won for India, there are very few players who have won so many matches for India. And the players who have such skills and qualities, and the players who have such skills and qualities with this experience are very few. There are very few players in the world who have so much skill, quality and experience," he added. (ANI)