Ganguly Hails Gill's England Form, Cites Abundance of Indian Cricket Talent: 'Every Generation Will Deliver'

Ganguly Foresees Continued Rise of Indian Cricket Talent, Lauds Shubman Gill's England Performance

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has expressed his confidence in the future of Indian cricket, emphasizing the constant emergence of talented players ready to fill any void. This comes amidst Shubman Gill's impressive performance in the ongoing Test series in England.

Sourav Ganguly celebrating his 53rd birthday.

Speaking on the sidelines of his 53rd birthday celebration, Ganguly acknowledged Gill's current success but also cautioned about the pressures that lie ahead. "This is the best I've seen him bat, and I'm not surprised," Ganguly told reporters, reaffirming his belief in the abundance of talent within Indian cricket.

Ganguly highlighted the legacy of Indian cricket legends, stating, "After the great (Sunil) Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, (Sachin) Tendulkar, (Rahul) Dravid, (Anil) Kumble came and then (Virat) Kohli, now Gill, (Yashasvi) Jaiswal, Akash Deep, Mukesh (Kumar), (Mohammed) Siraj... just see the abundance of talent."

He further added, "In every generation, whenever there's a void, they will come and fill it. I've always said that."

Currently, Gill is just 18 runs short of surpassing Rahul Dravid's record of 602 runs, which is the highest score by an Indian batter in a series in England. India recently secured a significant 336-run victory at Edgbaston, drawing the five-match series level at 1-1.

When asked about his potential future role as India's head coach, Ganguly remained circumspect. "It's too early. There are many desires, but reality is different. Do you wish to become coach? Let's see, don't know," he stated.

In his debut as captain, Gill has amassed 585 runs at an impressive average of 146.25, including three centuries. His scores of 269 and 161 in Birmingham have broken several records, including the highest match aggregate by an Indian batter.

Gill is also closing in on Don Bradman's 88-year-old record for the most runs scored as captain in a Test series. Bradman achieved 810 runs in five Tests during the 1936-37 Ashes, averaging 90 with three centuries. Gill requires 225 more runs to eclipse this record.

"It's phenomenal. I hope his career will take a new direction... And I believe he's a middle-order batter. He has just become captain, it's a honeymoon period. But there would be more pressure with time. The pressure will build in the next three Tests." Ganguly observed.

Ganguly stressed the importance of a fresh start at Lord's, despite India's recent triumph. "It's just one-all. There's still a lot to play for with three matches to go. India played well and has been playing well. They may have lost at Headingley, but they played well... But again, you have to start from scratch in the next match (at Lord's)."

He further suggested that a lively pitch at Lord's would favor India. "It will be an advantage for India if it's a lively pitch because our batters will score runs, and we'll be in a position to take 20 wickets... I've said before -- if you give grass and life on the wicket, we can take 20 wickets."

Regarding the bowling lineup for Lord's, Ganguly shared his insights. "If the surface is brown, Kuldeep has to play 100 percent. It depends on the surface. If it's green, you can have four pacers. If Kuldeep comes in, it could be either in Nitish (Kumar Reddy) or Washy's (Washington Sundar) place."