England’s Jos Buttler believes India’s new Test captain, Shubman Gill, is about to usher in a fresh era—one that blends the best of Virat Kohli’s fire and Rohit Sharma’s composure.
Speaking on his podcast For the Love of Cricket with Stuart Broad, Buttler opened up about playing under Gill’s captaincy during the recent IPL season. With Gujarat Titans making the playoffs and both Buttler and Gill scoring over 500 runs, the England star got an up-close view of the young leader’s style—and he came away impressed.
“He’s a really impressive player and an impressive young man,” Buttler said. “He’s pretty calm and measured when he speaks, but on the field, he’s got a bit of fight about him… a bit of intensity, quite passionate. I think he’ll be a mix of Kohli and Rohit.”
Gill, who officially stepped into the role of India’s Test captain ahead of the England series, is taking over one of the most storied positions in Indian cricket—carrying not only the legacy of Kohli but also the echoes of Sachin Tendulkar, who once held the same No. 4 spot in the lineup.
Buttler reflected on how Kohli had revolutionized the Indian team with his fearless, confrontational energy, while Rohit brought a sense of calm, steadiness, and quiet leadership. And in Gill, Buttler sees a bit of both.
“He’s obviously learned from those two guys… but he’ll be very much his own man.”
The transition, however, won’t be without its challenges. Buttler, who captained England in white-ball cricket, knows first-hand the difficulty of balancing leadership responsibilities with personal performance—especially when you’re constantly under scrutiny.
“He talked about compartmentalising batting and captaining. So when he’s batting, he just wants to be a batter. Then he’ll try and work on his captaincy and try to separate the two roles.”
“When you’re doing such a big job as being captain of the Indian cricket team, he’ll have to try and do that well and have some good people supporting him.”
Buttler also highlighted the massive spotlight that comes with leading the Indian Test side, especially in a cricket-crazed nation.
“I don’t think we can quite understand the level of interest and the stardom that these guys have. They say the Indian Test captain is like the third or fourth-most influential person in India, behind the Prime Minister, etc. — so you really are put up on that pedestal.”
Yet despite the enormity of the role, Buttler is confident that Gill is ready to step up. After all, Gill is no stranger to pressure. Having captained in two IPL seasons and constantly being dubbed the “prince” to Kohli’s “king,” he has lived under the weight of expectations.
“That’s the narrative they spin out there,” Buttler added. “And I feel that he’s the coming man.”
As India prepares for a high-stakes tour of England, one thing is clear: Shubman Gill isn’t just filling shoes—he’s carving his own path. And the world will be watching every step.
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