Shubman Gill told to take inspiration from Virat Kohli 'but not necessarily his batting No.': 'Make sacrifices for team'

Shubman Gill has a big job to take Indian cricket forward in red-ball cricket as a new era is all set to kickstart with the England tour after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's retirements. Handed the captaincy as Rohit’s successor, Gill also carries the weight of stepping into Kohli’s shoes in the batting order. The selectors' decision on the team's leadership was on expected lines following the retirement of senior stars Rohit and Kohli, both of whom called it quits within a week of each other last month. Shubman Gill might bat at number 4 position, where Virat Kohli used to bat in the past, on England tour.(AFP)

However, the 25-year-old has not been able to be consistent with the bat in red-ball format. From 32 tests, he's scored 1,893 runs and five centuries at an average of 35. He has shown some promise at home but is yet to prove himself in Test cricket, especially in the SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia) countries.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has advised Shubman to take inspiration from recently retired Kohli, and it's not related to his batting position - number 4.

“You can take inspiration from Virat Kohli’s success, his hunger for runs, his leadership—but not necessarily his batting number. That’s a very individual choice. Similarly, Shubman should play where he contributes best," Chopra said on JioHotstar.

‘Learn from Virat Kohli’s mindset’: Aakash Chopra to Shubman Gill

Shubman is likely to slot into the vacant No. 4 position during the England tour, and Chopra believes the 25-year-old should draw inspiration from Kohli’s mindset while staying true to his own batting style, regardless of where he’s placed in the order.

"Batting position isn’t about copying someone—it’s about where you fit in the team and how it benefits the side. Learn from Kohli’s mindset, play with an extra bowler if needed. That’s what leaders do—make sacrifices for the team,” Chopra concluded on the matter," the former India opener added.

Before stepping down in 2022, Virat Kohli became India’s most successful Test captain, registering 40 wins and 17 losses in 68 matches. He is followed by MS Dhoni with 27 victories in 60 Tests and Sourav Ganguly with 21 wins from 49 matches. The 37-year-old finished his illustrious Test career last month with 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85.

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