Not Yashasvi Jaiswal! Suresh Raina Tips This Player to be the 'Next Superstar' of Indian Cricket

Former Indian cricketer, Suresh Raina has tipped the young Indian batting star, Shubman Gill to be the future of Indian cricket when it comes to captaincy in the shortest format.

Raina who has represented the Indian team across all formats, sees great things for the 25-year-old and has suggested that his vice-captaincy in the white-ball games could be a sign that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could be looking at him as a leader for the future.

“Shubman Gill is a super star. Gill is vice captain it means someone is thinking about him. If he does well in the IPL and win the trophy he is the future (captaincy). He will be the next super star,” said Raina as quoted by PTI.

Gill has already begun captaining the national team, albeit on an interim basis where he led the side during their tour of Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series where they took a fairly younger squad in July 2024.

The 25-year-old has been a mainstay for the national side across all formats and looks to be on track to be India’s next big face following the departures of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Having already represented the Indian team in 93 matches across all formats, playing in tournaments like the ODI World Cup and the World Test Championship, he has shown that he belongs on the international stage and is only a matter of time before he peaks and becomes India’s go-to man with the bat.

In the 50-over format, Gill has solidified his position at the top of the order with Rohit Sharma. For the longest format, he has found his position at the number three position, where he had a fine performance in the recently concluded Test series against England. As far as the T20I format is concerned, he has yet to nail his position but could see himself being at the top of the pecking order now that Rohit Sharma has retired from the shortest format.

As far as captaincy is concerned, he was announced as the skipper for the Gujarat Titans in the 2024 season but has struggled to get the best out of the players he had at his disposal. But considering that the mega-auction could serve as a platform to build a team of his liking, it could see the franchise get back to the very top under Gill’s leadership.

(with PTI Inputs)