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Newly-appointed India captain Shubman Gill will be leading the side in the much-anticipated five-match Test series against England which is set to commence from June 20. Though this will be his first assignment as the Men in Blue's skipper in red-ball cricket, he will be expected to not only perform well as a leader, but as a batter too. There will be a lot of pressure on the 25-year-old as India haven't recorded a Test series triumph on English soil since 2007.
With the much-awaited series on the cards, former England cricketer Nick Knight has fired a massive warning to Gill and has stated that Ben Stokes & Co. will be targeting him in particular throughout the five Tests.
Knight believes England will particularly target Gill during the series
"I think that's going to be pretty crucial because every side, and England will do it. You can bet your bottom dollar, England will do it. No side is more vulnerable than when its captain is feeling a little under pressure and vulnerable. That has a huge impact on the whole dressing room, right? So England will target Shubman Gill. England will try and knock him over. England will try and make him feel uncomfortable," Knight told The Times of India.
"Because they'll feel that that might have a knock-on effect with those around him. So it's a huge series for Shugman Gill. Who, by the way, I am a huge fan of. And have been for a long, long time. I remember seeing Shubman at 18, 19 in an Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. And I went, wow, this boy can play," he added.
Knight also believes that Gill is low on confidence heading into the series due to his poor form in red-ball cricket and further pointed out a major flaw in the India captain's batting.
"Well, when I've been out in India (for IPL commentary), I always highlight the same thing, really. Sometimes with Shubman, more so when you're sort of a little lacking in confidence and striving for things a little bit for your form, sometimes that front leg just pushes across a little bit too much. And, therefore, the rotation of the body and accessing the ball and playing around that front pad. But of late, I haven't seen that quite so much, if I'm brutally honest," Knight told PTI.
"But it becomes more important when you've got a left-armer coming over the wicket and swinging it back into the pads. That's something that he will probably be always aware of. That line outside off stump, again, will be the challenge for all these top-order players, particularly in England," he added.
Meanwhile, Gill recently had a great IPL 2025 campaign as the captain of the Gujarat Titans. Not only did he play multiple fantastic knocks in the tournament, he also showcased brilliant leadership skills and helped in guiding his team to the playoffs. However, his side's journey eventually came to an end in the eliminator where they were be defeated by the Mumbai Indians.
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