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Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has identified two promising candidates for the future leadership role in the Indian cricket team, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. Karthik believes that both players possess the qualities necessary to captain India in all formats.
Dinesh Karthik names future India captain
Gill and Pant have already been considered as potential future captains and have had opportunities to lead India in some international matches. Moreover, they are also the current captains of their respective Indian Premier League franchises, Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals.
In a recent interview on Cricbuzz's Ask CB segment, Dinesh Karthik was asked about his thoughts on India's potential future captain across all formats. Karthik identified Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant as strong candidates for the leadership role.
The former wicketkeeper-batter highlighted that both Gill and Pant are currently leading their respective teams in the Indian Premier League, making them prime contenders to take on the captaincy responsibilities for the Indian national team in the future.
“Two players come straight into my mind who are young, who have the potential, and definitely can lead India in all the formats in the near future. One Rishabh Pant, two Shubman Gill. Both of them are captains in IPL teams and have captained India. I do think in time, they have the chance to become the all format captain for India as well," Karthik said.
Shubman Gill's leadership debut and International success
Shubman Gill recently led India to a resounding 4-1 victory in the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. This marked his inaugural captaincy assignment at the international level. Gill is also India's current vice-captain in limited-overs formats and is considered a potential candidate for the Test captaincy role in the future. Gill made his international debut in 2019, representing India in an ODI match against New Zealand. Since then, he has secured a permanent place in the Indian team. While Gill continues to solidify his position in Test and T20I cricket, he has already established himself as a key member of India's ODI squad. The 24-year-old has amassed 2328 runs in 47 ODIs, averaging an impressive 58.20 with a strike rate of 101.74, including 6 centuries and 13 half-centuries.
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Rishabh Pant's return and future captaincy aspirations
Rishabh Pant has always been a potential candidate for the leadership role in Indian cricket. However, his career trajectory was temporarily derailed by a life-threatening accident. Despite this setback, Pant's impressive return to the Indian team has positioned him as a possible option for future captaincy.
Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant are both expected to feature in India's upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh at home. Gill will be aiming to solidify his position at number three in the batting order, while Pant will be looking to make a successful comeback to Test cricket. If given the opportunity, this will be Pant's first Test match since his recovery from the accident. Currently, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant are competing in the Duleep Trophy, representing India A and India B respectively.
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