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Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has shown his support to Shubman Gill, drawing parallels between the young batter's journey and the early advice he himself received from Rahul Dravid when he broke into the Indian team.
Speaking on JioHotstar, Pathan reflected on how responsibility shapes elite cricketers and believes Gill is on a similar path of growth as India's modern greats. "When I entered the Indian team at the age of 19, the great Rahul Dravid told me that you have come to the team, it is good, but the things would get tougher from here. I asked what to do in case things get tough. He told me you would get used to it," Pathan recalled. Pathan felt the same learning curve now applies to Gill, who has rapidly risen through the ranks and embraced leadership roles across formats. "Same can be said for Gill. He became captain, in that England series, he increased his average and authority within the team. Then he got the ODI captaincy, when that happens, you get an opportunity to grow a lot," he added. Gill began the year on a decent note in ODI cricket, delivering consistent performances in bilateral series and playing a key role in India's ICC Champions Trophy-winning campaign, scoring 188 runs, including a century against Bangladesh. However, it was during his first full-fledged Test tour of England that Gill truly announced himself as a leader and batter of rare pedigree. With senior stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin absent, the responsibility rested on the shoulders of the young Test captain and Gill responded in emphatic fashion. Dubbed the "Prince" of Indian cricket, Gill went on a record-shattering spree in England, amassing 754 runs in five Tests at an average of 75.40, including four centuries and a monumental 269, rewriting records. Pathan also addressed the inevitable comparisons that follow prodigious Indian batters. "He has a lot of talent. There will be always comparisons. Virat was compared with Sachin (Tendulkar), and now Gill is being compared to Virat, who has scored those 25,000-30,000 runs. I think he is fully capable of it. He has a fine range of shots," Pathan said. Gill's blip came in T20Is, where he struggled for consistency, scoring 291 runs in 15 innings at an average just over 24 in 2025, eventually leading to his omission from India's T20 World Cup squad. Pathan believes challenges are part of growth. "The more responsibility and challenges he gets, he will grow more as a cricketer. I have seen that he is always ready for cricket. Always willing to learn. He has that attitude in him," Pathan noted. (ANI)
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