GT captain Shubman Gill should use IPL 2024 as learning curve: Anil Kumble

Former Indian skipper Anil Kumble reckons Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill should use IPL 2024 as a learning curve. Gill led GT for the first time in the IPL but the team could only qualify for the playoffs. The franchise won five out of their 14 matches and suffered seven losses, with two games ending in no-result. 

Meanwhile, Gill scored 890 runs in 17 matches of IPL 2023 and played a key role in taking his team to the final of the tournament. However, Gill could not replicate the same show in the ongoing season, scoring 426 runs in 12 matches at an average of 38.73 and a strike rate of 147.40.

GT also failed to come up with a collective effort, like they had done in the previous two seasons under the leadership of Hardik Pandya.

“It’s never easy coming into an IPL season for the first time leading a side. You are not going to have success the first time around. I know Hardik Pandya had success for GT when he became captain for GT in his first season. But what I like about Shubman Gill in the IPL has been his aggressive approach.”

“When he was the captain, he set fields to take wickets. Yes, I know he has Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed, but still, you need to keep those fielders in catching positions. It didn’t work out for them this season. They didn’t qualify. But I’m sure all those experiences would be a learning curve for him, and he will only grow and get better. The more you do it, the better you get. The more experience you get and you will be able to handle those situations much better,” said Kumble on JioCinema.

Kumble said that Gill should be happy looking back at his first season as skipper.

“And his own form as well. Once he had those first four or five games, he batted really well. After that, there was a little bit of a drop, and that certainly affected him.”

“And like Watson mentioned, you know, without your key bowler Mohamad Shami and Hardik Pandya is a big miss plus David Miller as well, his form and his injury in the middle that also affected them. But overall, I thought, you know, he should be happy in looking back at how he has gone about his leadership and leading the team,” said Kumble.

Gill is part of the reserves list of players for the T20 World Cup.