Indian cricket's strength has come from smooth generational transitions, with at least one or two players emerging as poster boys who have carried the weight of the nation's expectations. These players include Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma. Many have wondered who will be the next "poster boy" since Virat and Rohit are nearing the end of their careers.
Jos Buttler has predicted that Shubman Gill will bear the moniker, even though Rishabh Pant has already created a name for himself as a superstar, particularly in Test cricket, and Yashasvi Jaiswal has had an incredible start to his international career.
Jos Buttler on Shubman Gill
Buttler, who is presently competing in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) under Gill's captaincy, praised Gill's leadership and said he was impressed by the way he trains. The 25-year-old's outstanding leadership at the Gujarat Titans (GT) was also praised by the former England captain.
"Look, Shubman is a star, isn't he? He is going to be the poster boy of Indian cricket. I think he is a fantastic player. I have really enjoyed it. I think one of the great things with the IPL is that I have played against these guys. But now I get to watch him up close and be on my team. I really like watching him practise and learning things about how he goes about it. He has led the team brilliantly. He has got a nice relationship with the whole team. And he and the coach get on well. And yeah, he has got that passion on the field which I love and also a clear, calm head. So he is doing a fantastic job as leader," said Buttler in an interaction with Cricbuzz.
Following Hardik Pandya's transfer to the Mumbai Indians (MI), Gill was chosen as GT's captain prior to the 2024 campaign. He was also the Indian team's vice-captain during their successful Champions Trophy (CT) 2025 campaign, and it is generally anticipated that he will eventually take over as India's full-time captain. In a five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, the great hitter made his debut as skipper of the Men in Blue.