“You put too much pressure on yourself” - Shubman Gill opens up on balancing the pressure of captaincy and batting

Indian Test captain, Shubman Gill, has opened up on the importance of balancing the twin pressures of captaincy and batting in the longest format of the game. It’s worth noting that Gill was appointed as the Test skipper after Rohit Sharma retired from the longest format of the game earlier this year.

In his first series as Test captain in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England, Gill helped the Indian team to a series-levelling 2-2 draw against England in the five-match Test series. Speaking in the pre-match press conference ahead of the first Test against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Gill made it clear that he isn't overthinking as a captain.

“In my preparation, I mainly focus on how I can succeed as a batsman. On the field, I like my instincts to take over while captaining. That's when I make the best tactical decisions for the team,” Shubman Gill said ahead of the first Test against South Africa.

“It's a conscious effort that when I'm batting, I think only as a batsman -- not as a captain. Sometimes, if you overthink as a captain, you put too much pressure on yourself and avoid taking small risks that give you the x-factor. That's how I balance my captaincy and batting,” he stated.

For the unversed, Gill amassed 754 runs in 10 innings with three centuries and a double century in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 in England to become the leading run-scorer in the five-match Test series.

Furthermore, there have been a lot of talks about the huge workload on Gill since taking over the captaincy. After being part of the England Test tour, he was later elevated as the vice-captain of the Indian T20I side ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 campaign. 

Subsequently, he played the West Indies Test series at home as a captain and later, the Australian limited-overs tour Down Under as an ODI captain, replacing the opening batter Rohit Sharma, as skipper.

“Firstly, in a 3-4 day turnaround, it is not easy to switch formats. It is mentally more challenging. There is a time difference in Australia, so the body takes time to adjust. Playing Test cricket in India presents different challenges compared to Australia. It is definitely mentally and physically demanding,” Gill stated.

“But as a professional cricketer, you know these challenges will come your way. The way you tackle them defines your greatness,” he concluded.

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