Never dreamt of being India's Test captain, Shubman Gill says

Dubai: Newly appointed Indian Test captain Shubman Gill said he didn't dream of becoming the Test captain during his younger days but accepted it was always his dream to play for India.

“As a kid, I never dreamt of being India’s Test captain. My only dream was to play for India and win matches for the country,” he said during an in-depth interview with veteran Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik.

The 25-year-old is set to embark on a new chapter as he leads India in the upcoming England series.

“Honestly, I don’t think even my father dreamt of me becoming India’s Test captain. “He called me when the news broke. I knew a bit earlier but waited till it was official. We had a very heartfelt conversation once he found out," he added.

On his new role, Gill said he was keen on building a team culture based on “security and happiness.”

"It's important to create an environment where players feel valued and confident in their roles, especially within a dynamic structure that includes frequent changes and immense competition," he said.

Speaking about the Indian coach Gautam Gambhir, Gill said, "The expectations… I've had this conversation numerous times with Gauti bhai and Ajit bhai. They just want me to be able to express myself as a leader. That's what they've told me 'there are no expectations'. They are not expecting me to do something I am not capable of. In terms of that, I don't think that there are any expectations or pressure from them but you definitely have some kind of expectations from yourself as a leader and a player. So those are the expectations that I have from myself but not from them."