Why Shubman Gill’s India captaincy talks draw comparisons to MS Dhoni

Dubai: If Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s story was made for Bollywood, Shubman Gill’s might just be the sequel in the making.

From a quiet, unsure start to leading Gujarat Titans into the Indian Premier League 2025 playoffs with authority, Gill’s captaincy arc has drawn comparisons with India’s original captain cool. And according to Titans assistant coach Aashish Kapoor, the parallels are only just beginning.

Speaking after Gujarat’s commanding win over Delhi Capitals on May 18, which sealed their spot in the playoffs, Kapoor backed Gill’s leadership and addressed the growing speculation about the opener’s suitability as India’s next Test captain.

“I’m not an astrologer. We’re watching him lead in T20 cricket, but when Dhoni was named captain for the World Cup (in 2007), he hadn’t captained anywhere,” said Kapoor, now assistant coach of Gujarat. “Nobody knew back then that he’d go on to become one of the world’s best captains.

“You have to observe a player over a period of time before making any Judgment. Shubman hasn’t even started yet, so it’s very difficult to say.”

Gill, who scored an unbeaten 93 in a record-breaking 205-run opening stand with Sai Sudharsan, looked in complete control as he guided his team to a clinical victory. While his form with the bat has been exceptional this season, it’s his growing confidence as a leader that has caught the eye.

IPL 2024 was Gill’s first major leadership test, and it wasn’t an easy ride. Hardik Pandya’s departure and Mohammed Shami’s Achilles tendon injury left a void, while Gill himself struggled for consistency. But in 2025, with a more balanced squad and his own game back in place, Gill has emerged as a calm and assured leader.

“He was trying hard as a captain last year too,” Kapoor said. “The captaincy has been the same, but this year he’s in better form, which is helping himself and the team.”

Kapoor also pointed out the importance of staying injury-free in a long tournament like the IPL. “If one or two important players get injured, the whole team can take a back seat. So that way, we are lucky this year,” he added.

Against Delhi, Gill’s captaincy stood out — from proactive field placements to staying composed after a debatable call to give the 16th over to R Sai Kishore, which went for 15 runs. Despite the occasional gamble, Gill gave off the air of a leader fully in charge.

Speaking after the match, Gill reflected on the turnaround in both his own form and the team’s campaign.

“Feels great to get the Q, but still two important games left. Carrying momentum is important. I’ve talked about being a batter — think as one without worrying about captaincy. Found it challenging last year, learnt how to manage it late in the season.

“Our fielding had been below par, we’d dropped a lot of catches, we reflected on that and worked on it during the break. When you’re in form, someone like Sai who’s converting starts, you don’t talk much. You just talk about what’s required.

“When in flow, you just need to make sure you don’t get carried away. We wanted to finish the game ourselves. I’d gotten sick, the break helped me recover.”

India are still weighing options for a long-term red-ball successor to Rohit Sharma. Whether Gill is the answer remains to be seen. But with the runs flowing and his captaincy quietly maturing, the 24-year-old is making sure the selectors can’t look past him for long. Just like Dhoni once did.