Despite the Gujarat Titans’ failure to qualify for the playoffs in the IPL 2024, Matthew Hayden, supported the team’s decision to assign Shubman Gill the captaincy. Due to rain in Ahmedabad, GT’s season-ending home game versus KKR at the Narendra Modi Stadium washed out on Monday, eliminating them from the playoff chase.

Under Hardik Pandya’s captaincy, the Titans made it to the final last year after winning the IPL title in their inaugural season in 2022. After Hardik’s trade to MI, Shubman Gill became the league’s youngest captain when GT gave him the captain’s armband despite the fact that Rashid Khan and Kane Williamson were still members of the team.

“In my opinion, Shubman Gill should do to whatever he can to become a better leader,” opined Matthew Hayden.

“We once had a chat when Steve Waugh stated, ‘Don’t expect me to be a leader. Lead by example both on and off the pitch. And you’ll return to your separate franchises and states. Ultimately, you will come to me as your national captain and come in and ease my burden,” remarked Hayden on Star Sports.

“I firmly think that you should not commit to a task, you can’t fulfil. When the highest points occur, he can stay close to the ground thanks to the solid support system that surrounds him. They have come quickly. The men in his squad regard and believe in him. There are certain aspects of his batting that he will need to adjust his techniques going forward, but I’m sure he can find methods to learn,” he continued.

Hayden asserted that Gill is an intelligent leader and that the young guy will only grow with time.

“Everyone overlooks how young he is. He needs to be a leader because he is a promising member of the future generation. He must have taken it into account. Whether he likes it or not, I believe he is a born leader. He is a composed leader. I’m confident he has a bright future if he can put all those things together,” he further stated.

Shubman Gill experienced yet another setback as the opener was not included in India’s 15-man team for the T20 World Cup. The GT skipper will however go with the team as one of the four reserves.

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