Delhi: Former Australian veteran batsman Ricky Ponting believes that India’s new Test captain and opener Shubman Gill will have to work hard on his Test batting before the tour of England. According to Ponting, the additional pressure of captaincy will make this task more difficult.

Significantly, after Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket, Gill has been given the command of India’s Test team. At the same time, the absence of experienced players like Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin can also prove to be a major challenge for Gill.

Ponting said in a conversation with PTI, “Shubman’s form has been fantastic in white ball cricket, but in Test cricket he still has to improve a little, and when you are a new captain, it becomes even more difficult to worry about your batting. It will not be easy for him.”

Head coach Ponting, who brought Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the finals during IPL 2025, further said, “I had also chosen Gill as captain in the Sydney Test last year, when Rohit Sharma was not available and (Jaspreet) Bumrah was injured. I have conversed six to ten times in the last few years, I have conversed with Gill, leadership and cricket.”

According to Ponting, “He has done a great job with the Gujarat Titans (GT). I think the responsibility of captaincy will not affect him much. He is a balanced thinking player and will be an important part of Indian cricket for the next 10 years.”

It is clear from this comment by Ricky Ponting that the time to come for Gill will not be easy. Now it will be interesting to see if Shubman Gill will be able to fulfill this new responsibility and will win India in difficult circumstances like England.