Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan believes that Shubman Gill has the ability to become the next Virat Kohli. Gill was positioned as the next all-format star for India, taking over the role of captain of both the Test and ODI teams. The 26-year-old even took over Kohli’s No.4 in the red ball after the star batsman retired from the format.
While talking to JioStar, Pathan reflected on his early days in international cricket and recalled how Rahul Dravid had warned him at just 19 that the problems would only increase as his career progressed. He said a similar phase now awaits Shubman Gill and explained that just as Virat Kohli was once measured against Sachin Tendulkar, Gill is now judged alongside Kohli. Pathan added that the decision to give Gill the Test and ODI captaincy gave the young batsman a valuable chance to mature and develop as a leader under more responsibility.
“He (Gill) has a lot of talent. There will always be comparisons. Virat was compared to Sachin and now Gill is being compared to Virat who has scored those 25,000-30,000 runs. I think he is fully capable of that. He has a good range of shots. The more responsibility and challenges he gets, he will grow as a cricketer. In cricket, I have seen him always be great.
Pathan’s reaffirmation that Gill is the next Kohli comes after Monty Panesar said he doubts the 26-year-old could be a replacement for the star player. Gill was part of the T20I squad but ultimately did not make it to India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
Gill said that despite becoming the ODI captain, his equation with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli remains the same.
“I think the narrative out there is different, but nothing has changed between us. Everything is the same as before, and that’s very helpful. Whatever they feel – their experience, whatever they’ve learned, whether it’s reading the pitch or whatever the situation is – I go to them and ask what they think, how they would do it if they were in my shoes. I like to get people’s thoughts and then the game, based on my own understanding.”
The Indian ODI captain will reportedly feature in the Vijay Hazare Trophy before the New Zealand series.
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Published on:
January 2, 2026
