NEW DELHI: Former India spinner Amit Mishra didn't mince words on Tuesday, openly stating that he wouldn't have chosen Shubman Gill as India's T20I captain for the Zimbabwe series, opting instead for Ruturaj Gaikwad. Mishra, who played 22 Tests, 36 ODIs, and 10 T20Is for India, admitted that the decision to appoint Shubman as captain was surprising.
Despite the controversy, Shubman led India to a 4-1 series win in the recently concluded T20I series against Zimbabwe.
Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra's podcast on YouTube, Mishra said: "Mai Shubman ko captain nahi banaunga, kyunki maine usey IPL me dekha, he doesn't know ki captaincy kaise karna hai, uske paas captaincy ka idea hi nahi hai. (I would not have made him the captain. You saw the IPL this season, Gill doesn't know how to captain the side, he is clueless)".
"Just because he is a part of the Indian team, he shouldn't be made the captain. Gill has done well in the IPL over the last few seasons, he did fine in the Indian team as well. The Indian team made him the captain as they want to give him leadership experience, which wasn't visible when he led Gujarat Titans in IPL," he added.
Mishra also suggested the names of Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant, and Ruturaj Gaikwad who should be given India captaincy in the shortest format of the game. Apart from Pant, Gaikwad and Samson were part of the Zimbabwe T20I series.
"There's Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant, Ruturaj Gaikwad who can lead India in T20Is. Right now, the BCCI is only looking to assess all options," Mishra said.
On being asked if Rahul Dravid's 'favouritism' got Shubman India captaincy, the former spinner said: "Everyone has some liking. I am not a Shubman Gill hater, I also like him. But, I feel Ruturaj is a better option because he has scored runs in tougher situations, be it for Chennai Super Kings or during the Asian Games. He is a good option, should be kept with the team, the way Yashasvi Jaiswal was with the Indian side at the T20 World Cup."
"He is someone who can deliver in T20Is, ODIs and Tests. The most important thing is, who brings calmness to the team? He doesn't play risky shots much. He should hire a good manager (for social media PR)," he further explained.
