Sanjay Manjrekar feels Shubman Gill doesn’t have an aggressive side like Virat Kohli

India captain Shubman Gill has found the going tough on the ongoing England tour after the first two Test matches. The fiery incident at the fag end of Day 3 at Lord’s where he lost his calm over England openers wasting time, got the crowd and the opposition players going at him. Clearly, the incident affected his game, according to former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar who believes that Gill doesn’t have an aggressive side like Virat Kohli

While speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Manjrekar stated that the current Indian Test captain isn’t naturally aggressive like Kohli. He also pointed out that Kohli used to love to get into the thick of things and was also ready to take the sledging head on which would, in turn, bring the best out of his batting.

“If Shubman Gill had that kind of a fiery side to him, we would have seen it a little earlier. You don't have to show it when you're the captain. Or did he show it because he's got this confidence now that he's won a Test match, and he's got so many runs? 

“Because with Virat Kohli, you could see that he was ready for a scrap. He was always waiting to get in the thick of things. Even when he wasn't a captain, you could see him coming in there. So that was a trait that we'd seen even before he was captain. With Shubman Gill, I've never seen it before,” Manjrekar said.

Manjrekar urges Manjrekar to find his own way

Sanjay Manjrekar also reckoned that Gill’s father, Lakhwinder Singh, who is also his first cricket coach, would know how his son is, aggressive like Kohli or cool and calm like Dhoni. But Manjrekar reckons he is in between the legendary Indian cricketers and it is for Gill to find his own way as captain.

“There are a lot of good people around him. His father [who played a big part as he grew up pursuing a career in cricket], in fact, would know him, would know his child, whether he's a Virat Kohli, potential Virat Kohli or [MS] Dhoni or somewhere in between. I'm guessing somewhere in between. So he's got to find his own way. But whatever way that is, it's got to be a way that will enhance his leadership qualities and make him a better batter,” Manjrekar added.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky365 and download the Sky365 App to start betting today!