'His record outside the subcontinent is...' - Former India cricketer criticizes Shubman Gill's performance ahead of Test series in England

Former India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu took a jibe at Shubman Gill's performance amid the ongoing captaincy rumors in Test cricket. After Rohit Sharma announced his retirement, the selectors were in search of a new captain who could play all the matches and handle the team well. Reports suggest that Jasprit Bumrah is not in contention for India's Test captaincy because of workload management. Hence, they had to make a choice among KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant, since they are the players with the most experience. 

As per several reports, the selectors are interested in investing their time and efforts on Gill since he is relatively young and has gotten some captaincy experience as well. Speaking about Gill on SportsTak, Sidhu said that he would always support Gill but the batter's sub-continent record isn't that great, which is a huge concern.  

"After Rohit's departure, there is a lack of experience. And I give you proof of this. If you make Gill the captain, I will always advocate for Gill. I think he is the future. But Gill's record outside the subcontinent is not that great, he averages just 25. He has two half-centuries. He doesn't have a single century," said Navjot Singh Sidhu on SportsTak. 

Navjot Singh Sidhu suggest Virat Kohli to be 'stop-gap' captain

The former cricketer also made a bold suggestion of making Virat Kohli the 'stop-gap' captain for the England series. The right-hand batter has the experience and the calibre to lead the team and he can do it efficiently for the time being since it's an important series. The Test series in England will mark the start of the WTC 2027 cycle. Hence, India can't afford to lose the series because of transition. 

"If you don't want Bumrah as you are concerned about his back, then make Virat Kohli the stop-gap captain, which is the best possible thing. Virat Kohli, give him responsibility. Rohit and Virat made the Indian team. The era of fast bowlers came when Virat Kohli was the captain. He played an important role in team building. Many people forget," added Sidhu.