The more responsibility and challenges Shubman Gill gets, he will grow more as a cricketer: Irfan Pathan

Former Indian all-rounder and commentator Irfan Pathan has backed Shubman Gill and drew parallels between the young Indian batter’s journey and the piece of advice he himself received from the legendary Indian batter Rahul Dravid when he made his international debut.

Speaking exclusively on JioHotstar, Pathan opened up on how responsibility changes elite cricketers and added that Gill is on a similar path of growth as India's modern greats.

"When I entered the Indian team at the age of 19, the great Rahul Dravid told me that you have come to the team, it is good, but the things would get tougher from here. I asked what to do in case things get tough. He told me you would get used to it," Pathan recalled.

"Same can be said for Gill. He became captain, in that England series, he increased his average and authority within the team. Then he got the ODI captaincy, when that happens, you get an opportunity to grow a lot," he added.

In the shortest format of the game, Gill struggled for consistency, scoring 291 runs in 15 innings at an average of just over 24 in 2025, and he was ultimately omitted from India's T20 World Cup squad.

Gill began the calendar year 2025 on a decent note in ODI cricket, delivering consistent performances in bilateral series and playing a key role in India's ICC Champions Trophy-winning campaign, scoring 188 runs, including a century against Bangladesh.

With senior batters Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin absent, Gill went on to emerge as the top batter in the Anderson Tendulkar Trophy in England, amassing 754 runs in five Tests at an average of 75.40, including four centuries and a 269-run knock.

"He has a lot of talent. There will be always comparisons. Virat was compared with Sachin (Tendulkar), and now Gill is being compared to Virat, who has scored those 25,000-30,000 runs. I think he is fully capable of it. He has a fine range of shots," Pathan said.

"The more responsibility and challenges he gets, he will grow more as a cricketer. I have seen that he is always ready for cricket. Always willing to learn. He has that attitude in him," Pathan concluded.

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