Saba Karim hails Shubman Gill’s captaincy after England win, predicts bigger leadership role

India made a winning start to the ODI series against England, but apart from the result, the performance of captain Shubman Gill also drew plenty of praise. Former India wicketkeeper-batter Saba Karim believes the young skipper showed maturity both as a batter and a leader, helping India take control of the opening match at Edgbaston.

Gill played a crucial knock of 80 before retiring hurt due to cramps during India’s chase of 259. His innings steadied the chase after the early wickets of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. India eventually sealed a comfortable six-wicket victory thanks to an unbeaten 102-run partnership between Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Saba Karim praises Gill’s calm approach as captain

Speaking to JioStar, Karim said Gill’s calm nature was reflected not only in his batting but also in the way he handled the pressure as captain.

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“He is a very composed player, and his captaincy reflects that. It was very important to seize the moment after losing two early wickets, which Shubman Gill did as captain. He has played innings like this many times before. Today, he faced some issues due to the injury, but overall, he put the team in a position to win the game, which they did,” Karim said.

Gill came to the crease after India’s early setbacks and stitched together a vital century partnership with Shreyas Iyer to bring the visitors back into the contest. Although cramps forced him to retire hurt, he had already laid the foundation for India’s successful chase.

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Axar Patel and Washington Sundar earn special praise

Karim was equally impressed with the way India’s lower middle order finished the job after Gill left the field. He said the partnership between Axar Patel and Washington Sundar showed the growing confidence within the squad.

“It must have been satisfying for Shubman Gill that the lower middle order finished the match. At that stage, around 100 runs were still needed, and the team required a sensible partnership, which Axar Patel and Washington Sundar provided. The assurance is slowly growing,” he added.

Axar Patel starred with both bat and ball. After taking four wickets earlier in the match, he remained unbeaten on 57 during the chase. Washington Sundar also impressed with an unbeaten 52, registering his maiden ODI half-century as the duo guided India home with 28 balls to spare.

Karim expects Gill to grow further as a leader

The former India selector believes Gill’s captaincy will continue to improve with experience. He feels the confidence of scoring runs consistently will also help the young captain make a stronger impact on the team.

“I expect even more from Shubman Gill now, that he will continue to leave his mark as a captain. In terms of vision and team balance, I feel he will start asserting himself more, which should happen, given the way he is leading the side and the form he is in with the bat,” Karim stated.

With a convincing win already in the bag, India will head into the second ODI full of confidence. Gill’s composed innings, backed by smart leadership and strong contributions from the middle order, has given the visitors the perfect start to the series.