Legendary cricketer Kapil Dev has called for patience with young India captain Shubman Gill, who is leading the side in the ongoing five-Test series against England. Speaking at the PGTI Schedule announcement for the second half of 2025, Kapil said the experience of captaining in such a high-stakes series would help Gill grow as a leader. “Give him time. This is his first series. He will make mistakes, but there will also be many positives. What matters is that he learns from those mistakes,” Kapil said.
India trail 1-2 in the series, with the fourth Test underway in Manchester. Gill had earlier led India to a memorable win at Edgbaston in the second Test. “This is a young team, and they are getting opportunities. In the coming days, these players will start winning. It takes time for a new team to adjust. Gill is a new captain, and this series will be a big learning step for him,” he added. Kapil also spoke about Jasprit Bumrah, who is playing only three of the five Tests to manage his workload. “Times have changed. Bodies are different. Bumrah’s action is very demanding on the body. We didn’t expect him to last this long, but he continues to deliver for India. Hats off to him,” he said. On debutant pacer Anshul Kamboj, who returned figures of 1/89 in the fourth Test, Kapil said it was important to focus on potential rather than results.
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“What do you expect from a debutant, that he takes 10 wickets? The result may not be great, but I believe the ability is there, and that’s more important.” Kapil also weighed in on the Ben Stokes vs Ravindra Jadeja comparison, saying, “Stokes is a good all-rounder, but I still feel Jadeja is ahead. He is performing far better.”
