
Star Indian batter Shubman Gill denied any kind of ‘toxic competition’ between him and other young cricketers including the likes Abhishek Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal. In a press conference in Nagpur ahead of the first ODI of a three-match series against England, Gill said that both Abhishek and Jaiswal are his good friends and there is not any competition between them. Notably, Abhishek Sharma recently scored the second fastest century (37) in the T20I format for India during the fifth T20I against England in Mumbai on February 2. The opening batter has almost cemented his in the Indian T20I set up.
On the other hand, Yashasvi Jaiswal has also impressed with his batting in Test cricket since his debut in 2023 and is being looked at as a next big thing for India in the longest format. Similar is the case with Shubman Gill who is currently the first choice along with skipper Rohit Sharma in the ODI format and has also been appointed as vice-captain for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
“Abhishek is a childhood friend of mine, Jaiswal is also a good friend. I don’t think there’s any toxic competition between us,” Shubman Gill was quoted as saying by News18.
“Obviously, when you are playing for the country, you want to perform in every match. [But] you don’t really think, ‘Oh, I wish this guy doesn’t perform’ or ‘I wish he doesn’t perform’. You are playing for… you are representing the country, you are playing for the country so whoever does well, you feel good for them and you congratulate them,” Gill further said.
If Rohit bhai would want my opinion: Shubman Gill on being vice captain
Shubman Gill has cemented his place in India’s ODI setup after his tremendous performance in 2023. Recently, he has also been appointed as a vice-captain for the Champions Trophy 2025 starting on February 19. The young batter said that he will take it as a challenge and provide his insights whenever the team needs.
“I take it as a challenge to lead my way, firstly with my performance and then definitely in the field if Rohit bhai would want my opinions. It’s my duty to let him know what my thoughts are,” Shubman Gill said.