Gautam Gambhir Gives Shubman Gill Unique Advice Amid 'Workload Management' Chatter
Shubman Gill, one of the few all-format players in the Indian team, has seen his workload soar through the roof over the last year or so.
- India captain Shubman Gill is likely to miss the second Test against South Africa due to a neck injury
- Gill faces fitness and form challenges due to his all-format workload at a young age
- Coach Gautam Gambhir suggested Gill skip IPL for rest but not international matches
India captain Shubman Gill looks set to miss out on the second Test against South Africa due to a neck injury he sustained in the first Test. In his youthful days, Gill remains one of the fittest players in the game, but being an all-format star, injuries have already started to make maintaining top fitness and form difficult for him. Many feel that Gill's workload needs to be managed, just like the team management has been doing for Jasprit Bumrah. But, head coach Gautam Gambhir reportedly doesn't feel he can give Gill a break from international commitments.
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra claimed that he had a chat with Gambhir on the 'workload management' topic involving Gill. The head, surprisingly, seemed to have told Gill to skip the Indian Premier League (IPL) if he needs rest, but he can't afford to miss international games.
"I asked this question to Gautam before the Test match against the West Indies. His point was that if you need workload management, then skip the IPL. If you don't want to lead because leading the IPL team puts too much pressure, then don't lead. And while playing for India, if you are fit, you are not mentally fatigued," said Chopra, an expert with Jio-Star for the ongoing India vs South Africa Test series.Â
Chopra further said that he agrees with Gambhir on the sentiment, as in-form players like Gill should remain with the team and maximise the services they offer.
"And as a batter, I can also second the opinion that when you are going through a good form, you really want to maximise. Because you never know when the bad form hits you and where the next one is going to come from. So, if there is no fitness concern per se and if there is no mental burnout concern that is very individual-specific, you stay with them and you play as much as you can, as often as you can," he concluded.
With Gill all but certain to miss out on the Guwahati Test, Rishabh Pant will be leading the Indian team. It would also be interesting to see if Gill regains full fitness for the ODI series against the Proteas.Â
India Cricket Team
South Africa Cricket Team
Gautam Gambhir