The former England white-ball captain, who played alongside Gill in this year’s IPL, remarked that the 25-year-old must find the right balance between guiding the team and preserving his own batting performance.
“He’s an incredibly talented player and a remarkable young man,” Buttler expressed on his podcast ‘For The Love of Cricket’ with former England fast bowler Stuart Broad.
“His demeanor is calm and controlled, but it’s interesting to note that on the field, he shows a spirited intensity and passion. I envision him as a combination of Kohli and Rohit.
“Kohli was the aggressive force, fundamentally changing the Indian team with his confrontational style. In contrast, Rohit brings a more relaxed and collected approach, yet still possesses that fighting spirit,” he elaborated.
Buttler anticipates that Gill will “find a balance between the two styles”.
“He’s clearly absorbed insights from those two legends… but he will carve out his own path.” Buttler remarked that leading India in Test cricket is akin to being one of the “third or fourth most influential figures” in the country. “He mentioned the importance of compartmentalizing his batting and captaincy; when he’s at the crease, he aims to focus solely on batting, then switch gears to concentrate on his captaincy,” he noted.
“The level of attention and celebrity status these individuals hold is truly hard to comprehend. We see it during the IPL and are aware of it, but experiencing it firsthand is different… It’s often said that the Indian Test captain ranks as the third or fourth most important individual in India, right after the Prime Minister, which places you on a significant pedestal.
“With one-and-a-half billion cricket enthusiasts, this is a monumental responsibility. Kohli is the king, and Shubman is the prince: that’s the narrative they create, and I believe he’s on the rise… Taking on that No. 4 position comes with immense expectations,” Buttler remarked. “IPL teams are as competitive as international teams,” he emphasized, stating that the competitiveness in the IPL makes some teams equivalent to international squads.
“I would argue that many teams could hold their own against international sides. For instance, the Mumbai Indians fielded nine or ten players who have played at the international level, and they aren’t just any international players.
“Thanks to the dedicated window for the IPL, there’s no overlap with international fixtures, allowing the best talent worldwide to participate, alongside a continually expanding pool of local Indian players,” he continued.
“Suryavanshi’s ton was both inspiring and deflating”
Buttler remarked on 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s rapid 38-ball 101 for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans, noting it was the second-fastest IPL century and the quickest by an Indian in T20 cricket, describing it as “both inspiring and deflating.”
“This youngster is around 20 years my junior and is dominating the field. It sent shockwaves through the cricketing community,” he shared.
“…on the first delivery, he created space and launched it over wide long on for six… that fearless attitude is fantastic. There are numerous brilliant players flourishing out there, all eager to make their mark.” Buttler also reminisced about Suryavanshi’s innings of 57 against Chennai Super Kings, exclaiming, “I’m thinking, ‘this guy is the best player I’ve ever witnessed,'” he concluded.
(With PTI inputs)
