As India steps into a new era of Test cricket with Shubman Gill as captain, former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has voiced confidence in the partnership between Gill and newly-appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar said, &ldquo;Gautam Gambhir, as coach, will enjoy a young captain with him. Like Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is, Gill brings fresh energy and freedom that suits Gambhir&rsquo;s aggressive mindset.&rdquo;
India will kick off their five-Test series against England at Headingley, Leeds on June 20 &mdash; the start of their campaign in the 2025&ndash;27 World Test Championship cycle. This marks a defining moment for the Gill-Gambhir era.
Manjrekar likened Gill's appointment to the unexpected elevation of Mohammed Azharuddin in 1989, describing it as a &ldquo;nothing to lose&rdquo; moment. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retiring from Tests and Jasprit Bumrah opting out of captaincy due to fitness concerns, Gill emerged as the natural choice.
&ldquo;This is a generational shift,&rdquo; said Manjrekar. &ldquo;The selectors have made a big call and they&rsquo;ll back him fully.&rdquo;
Gill, with 1,893 Test runs and five centuries from 32 matches, will now lead a young squad in challenging English conditions. Notably, he has prior captaincy experience, having guided Gujarat Titans to the IPL 2025 playoffs.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]
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Gambhir Will Enjoy Working With Gill: Sanjay Manjrekar

Manjrekar sees exciting coach-captain chemistry as Gill leads India into the new WTC cycle

Gambhir Will Enjoy Working With Gill: Sanjay Manjrekar

Manjrekar sees exciting coach-captain chemistry as Gill leads India into the new WTC cycle

June 19, 2025 | 16:06 IST