Shubman Gill: A big honour for me to lead such legends

As Shubman Gill fronted the press pack in Perth, with the picturesque Swan River behind him, several locals passing by looked on curiously as if they could not quite pinpoint exactly who he was.

Gill, clearly, does not yet quite have the global stature of Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma. But that should soon change, with him holding the top leadership posts for India in Tests and ODIs. As the new poster boy of Indian cricket, Gill and his counterpart Mitchell Marsh are plastered on the marketing signs around the city to promote the ODI series opener between Australia and India at Optus Stadium.

It represents a transition for India as they start building towards the 2027 World Cup, a tournament where they will hope to end a 16-year wait for the title.

Gill, 26, has cut a relaxed figure so far on tour, appearing undaunted about stepping into the hot seat and following in the footsteps of Rohit and Kohli. He is perhaps encouraged by the successful start to his Test reign but, unlike in that format, there is the added intrigue of him now captaining these larger-than-life cricketers he grew up idolising.

"These are the kind of players I used to idolise when I was growing up. The kind of hunger that they had used to inspire me," Gill told reporters. "It is a big honour for me to be able to lead such legends of the game. I am sure there would be so many moments in this series where I would be able to learn from them.

"If I get in a difficult position, I wouldn't shy away from taking advice from them."

With Rohit remaining in the team despite being stripped of the captaincy, there has been innuendo over how seamlessly the leadership baton will be passed on. However, Gill said he has already leaned on Rohit's experience.

"The narrative that goes on outside is different. There's nothing like that between us - things are just as they were before, " Gill said of his relationship with Rohit. "He is very helpful. And whatever he has learned from his experience, or if I think I need some help, I ask him what he would have done in a particular situation.

"I like to know everyone's thoughts and then decide as per my understanding of the game. In that respect, I have a great equation with both Virat bhai and Rohit bhai. Whenever I have a doubt, I go to them and take their suggestion, advice, and they also don't hesitate in sharing [their knowledge]."

The three-match ODI series in Australia will be the first glimpse of what type of style and combination Gill wants for his team. What has been seemingly answered, having scored five tons from 13 innings since taking charge in the Test format, is that Gill is a cricketer who thrives with the added responsibility.

His Test average has risen noticeably, though that might be difficult to replicate in ODI cricket given his average currently stands at 59 from 55 matches.

"I like it when I have the additional responsibility. The pressure brings out my best," he said. "I enjoy that responsibility, though I feel when I go out to bat, I take the best decision when I think as a batsman and do not think too much about being a captain and thinking like one.

"When I do that, then I put myself under extra pressure. As a batsman, I think what the team needs the most at that moment. So I try to take decisions as Shubman Gill the batsman rather than taking that additional responsibility of scoring all the runs or finishing the match."

While the ODI series is likely to be a celebration of Kohli and Rohit, as they bid farewell to a country where they have had countless battles, Gill is set to emerge into prominence in Australia where he is unlikely to fly under the radar again.

"Definitely, very exciting," he said about his debut as ODI captain. "It's very big shoes for me to carry the legacy that Virat bhai and Rohit bhai have left.

"How they converse and what kind of communication or messaging they had with the players is something that helped me get the best out of myself. That's the kind of captain I would want to be, where all my players feel very secure in the job they have to do."