Gambhir is clear in his intent and communication: Gill

IMAGE: India T20 Captain Shubman Gill in action during the recently concluded India tour of Zimbabwe. Photograph: BCCI / X

Shubman Gill, the vice-captain of India's white-ball teams, praised the new head coach, Gautam Gambhir, for his clear thinking. He hopes to become an all-format player in the coming months.

During India's trip to Sri Lanka, Gill will be the deputy to Suryakumar Yadav in T20s and the second-in-command to Rohit Sharma in ODIs.

This is Gambhir's first tour as the India coach; he replaced Rahul Dravid after India's T20 World Cup win in the Americas last month.

Gill expressed his confidence in the new coaching staff, stating that he is working with Gambhir for the first time. He mentioned that in their net sessions, Gambhir's intent and communication have been very clear. Gambhir is focused on working with specific players on particular aspects, which has been evident during their interaction.

IMAGE: India Coach Gautam Gambhir and Chairman of the BCCI selection committee Ajit Agarkar speak to the media in ahead of the tour of Sri Lanka.. Photograph: BCCI / X

Gill's ultimate goal is to bring more success to the team and to establish himself as an all-format batsman across different conditions. He acknowledged that he couldn't find a place in the 15-man squad during the T20 World Cup and aims to improve his performance in the upcoming cycle of 30-40 T20Is.

Looking ahead, Gill is focused on the five-match Test tour to Australia and the subsequent Champions Trophy.

He emphasized the importance of the six upcoming matches (3 T20Is and 3 ODIs against SL) as crucial preparation for the Test matches.

Regarding his role as vice-captain, Gill stated that it doesn't change much about his approach. He will still need to perform and contribute to the team's victories. However, he acknowledged that there will be additional decision-making responsibilities on the field.

Gill mentioned that the thought process of Gambhir and Suryakumar is similar in terms of their vision for the team. He indicated that their communication and thinking align well.

With Rohit's retirement from T20Is, Gill will have a new opening partner in Yashasvi Jaiswal. He expressed confidence in their partnership, noting that they complement each other well and have a good understanding and communication during their partnerships.

Gill also spoke highly of Abhishek Nayar, the newly-appointed assistant coach of India. He praised Nayar's dedication and effort in helping players improve their skill.