AB de Villiers expressed surprise and concern over Gujarat Titans’ decision to appoint Shubman Gill as captain instead of Kane Williamson. De Villiers believes that Williamson, with his extensive leadership experience, would have been an excellent choice as captain, allowing Gill to focus solely on his batting.
The South African cricketer shared his thoughts on his YouTube channel, suggesting that Gujarat Titans missed a golden opportunity for the IPL 2024 season.
While acknowledging Gill’s potential as a future leader, De Villiers emphasized that naming Williamson as captain could have provided stability and experience. Gill, at 25, finds himself in an unexpected captaincy role, lacking prior IPL leadership experience. De Villiers highlighted the swift progression in Gill’s career, especially after his breakthrough season for India in 2023.
“The minute I saw Kane Williamson’s name as a retained player, I thought there was a fantastic opportunity to give an experienced player who has done it before an opportunity to captain for you. Give Shubman Gill the opportunity just to cement in all the formats in Indian cricket and just to have another good season at the IPL,” AB de Villiers said.
Despite having Rashid Khan as a captaincy option due to his two-year stint as vice-captain to Pandya, GT’s team director, Vikram Solanki, opted for Gill, citing his leadership contributions within the team over the past two years.
Harsha Bhogle, a cricket expert, echoed concerns about Gill taking on captaincy early in his career, suggesting it might impact his free-spirited playing style showcased in the IPL 2023 season, where Gill emerged as the top run-scorer with 890 runs. AB de Villiers, while sharing these reservations, looks forward to witnessing how the young GT captain handles the pressures of leadership in the upcoming IPL season.
