Ganguly Backs Indian Cricket's Future, Praises Gill's England Form Amid Captaincy Pressure

Ganguly Predicts Continued Success for Indian Cricket, Lauds Shubman Gill's Performance

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has expressed his confidence in the future of Indian cricket, highlighting the consistent emergence of talented players. He specifically praised Shubman Gill's recent performance in England, while also noting the pressures that come with the captaincy role.

Sourav Ganguly (PTI Photo)

Speaking on the sidelines of his 53rd birthday celebration at Eden Gardens, Ganguly stated, "This is the best I've seen him bat and I'm not surprised. There will always be players in Indian cricket after every generation. Whenever there's a void, players will come and fill it." He emphasized the abundance of talent in the country, citing examples from Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev to Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and the current generation of fast bowlers.

Gill is currently nearing a significant milestone, just 18 runs shy of surpassing Rahul Dravid's record for the most runs scored by an Indian batter in a series in England (602 runs). His leadership has also been instrumental in India's recent success, including a dominant 336-run victory at Edgbaston that leveled the five-match series at 1-1.

When asked about the possibility of becoming India's head coach in the future, Ganguly remained non-committal. "It's too early," he said. "There are many desires, but reality is different. Do you wish to become coach? Let's see, don't know."

Despite his impressive start as captain, Ganguly cautioned that Gill will face increasing pressure. "He has just become captain, it's a honeymoon period. But there would be more pressure with time. The pressure will build in the next three Tests."

Ganguly also stressed the importance of a fresh start for India in the upcoming match at Lord's. "It's just one-all. There's still a lot to play for with three matches to go… But again, you have to start from scratch in the next match (at Lord's)." He believes that a lively pitch at Lord's would favour India, allowing their batters to score runs and their bowlers to take 20 wickets.

Regarding the bowling lineup for Lord's, Ganguly suggested that Kuldeep Yadav should be included if the surface is brown, potentially replacing Nitish Kumar Reddy or Washington Sundar.

He also acknowledged the contributions of Akash Deep and Mohammed Shami, both of whom have risen through Bengal's domestic cricket system. "It's their hard work," Ganguly said. "They have come here, worked hard and with CAB's support have come this far. You have to give credit."