Former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes that while Shubman Gill is currently experiencing a favourable period as India’s Test captain, he will face increased pressure in the future.Ganguly, who celebrated his 53rd birthday on Tuesday, referenced his recent PTI interview while emphasising the continuous emergence of talented players in Indian cricket.Gill is currently 18 runs away from breaking Rahul Dravid’s record of 602 runs, the highest by an Indian batter in a series in England. India secured a commanding 336-run victory at Edgbaston, levelling the five-match series 1-1.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“This is the best I’ve seen him bat and I’m not surprised,” Ganguly said while talking to reporters at Eden Gardens on the sidelines of his birthday celebration, as quoted by PTI.“There will always be players in Indian cricket after every generation. Whenever there’s a void, players will come and fill it.”“There is so much talent in Indian cricket. In every generation, you will find players.”“After the great (Sunil) Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, (Sachin) Tendulkar, (Rahul) Dravid, (Anil) Kumble came and then (Virat) Kohli, now Gill, (Yashasvi) Jaiswal, Akash Deep, Mukesh (Kumar), (Mohammed) Siraj… just see the abundance of talent.”“In every generation, whenever there’s a void, they will come and fill it. I’ve always said that.”Regarding his potential future as India’s head coach, Ganguly maintained a cautious stance.
“It’s too early. There are many desires, but reality is different. Do you wish to become coach? Let’s see, don’t know,” Ganguly said on Tuesday.In his debut as captain, Gill has accumulated 585 runs at an average of 146.25, including three centuries. His scores of 269 and 161 in Birmingham set multiple records, including the highest match aggregate by an Indian batter.Gill is approaching Don Bradman’s 88-year-old record of most runs as captain in a Test series. Bradman scored 810 runs in five Tests during the 1936-37 Ashes, averaging 90 with three centuries. Gill needs 225 more runs to surpass this mark.“It’s phenomenal. I hope his career will take a new direction. And I believe he’s a middle-order batter. He has just become captain, it’s a honeymoon period. But there would be more pressure with time. The pressure will build in the next three Tests.”
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Ganguly emphasized the importance of starting fresh at Lord’s despite India’s recent victory.“It’s just one-all. There’s still a lot to play for with three matches to go. India played well, and have been playing well. They may have lost at Headingley but they played well. But again, you have to start from scratch in the next match (at Lord’s).”The new generation under Gill’s leadership has performed admirably, compensating for the absence of veterans Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and R Ashwin.Ganguly suggests that a lively pitch at Lord’s would benefit India.“It will be advantage India if it’s a lively pitch. Because our batters will score runs and we’ll be in a position to take 20 wickets. I’ve said before — if you give grass and life on the wicket, we can take 20 wickets.”“Last week it was very hot in England, so it’s flat. But it’s a long way to go.”Regarding the bowling lineup for Lord’s, Ganguly offered his perspective.“If the surface is brown, Kuldeep has to play 100 per cent. It depends on the surface. If it’s green, you can have four pacers. If Kuldeep comes in, it could be either in Nitish (Kumar Reddy) or Washy’s (Washington Sundar) place.”Akash Deep claimed ten wickets in the match while replacing Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested. The team also missed Mohammed Shami due to injury.Both Shami and Akash Deep developed their careers through Bengal’s domestic cricket system, despite their origins in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, respectively.
Addressing the debate about non-Bengali players representing Bengal, Ganguly acknowledged their dedication.“It’s their hard work. They have come here, worked hard and with CAB’s support have come this far. You have to give credit.”Ganguly celebrated his 53rd birthday with a cake-cutting ceremony in Dubai while returning from England.Born on July 8, 1972, Ganguly is recognized as one of Indian cricket’s most influential leaders. He is credited with rebuilding the team after the match-fixing scandal and establishing India’s success in overseas competitions.Ganguly’s career statistics include 7,212 Test runs with 16 centuries between 1996 and 2008. In ODIs, he remains India’s third-highest run-scorer with 11,363 runs and 22 centuries.
