“He did cross the line” - Dinesh Karthik opens up on Shubman Gill as new Test captain

Former Indian keeper-batter and commentator Dinesh Karthik has heaped praise on the newly appointed Indian Test captain, Shubman Gill, who steered India to a series-levelling scoreline of 2-2 in the just concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England. 

While there were a lot of doubts on Gill, both as a captain and as a batter away from home, he answered his critics in style. With the bat, he emerged as the leading run-scorer, amassing 754 runs from 10 innings.

While speaking on Cricbuzz, Karthik asserted that Gill looked aggressive as a captain on the field, and sometimes he crossed the line. However, he added that he will change in that aspect shortly. Nevertheless, the former batter liked the way Gill handled the English media.

"He's been aggressive at times; sometimes he did cross the line. I think he'll change that about himself to an extent. I hope he doesn't change it too much. But most importantly, the way he handled the English media [he did it very well]. Walking into this series, people were asking - Shubman Gill, away from India, his record can be better. And he said, 'I want to be the best batter across both teams'. It's one thing to have confidence, but you've got to back that up with skill. He came prepared. There was a vulnerability in his batting [against] the ball coming back in. He found a way to work on his technique and counter it," Karthik told Cricbuzz.

While Gill started the England tour with an exceptional 147-run knock in Leeds, he continued his brilliant form with twin centuries in the second Test in Birmingham, which caught the attention of Karthik, for whom it was the defining moment of the series.

"What was the defining part of what he achieved was hunger and determination. That 269 and the hundred he got at Edgbaston, the amount of time he batted was astounding," he added.

Gill would be next seen captaining the Indian Test team against the West Indies at home in a two-match Test series. Prior to that, he will be leading the North Zone side in the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2025-26 campaign.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at BetBarter and download the BetBarter app to start betting today!