'It’ll be pretty competitive with a very good atmosphere' - Shubman Gill on playing against teammates in Duleep Trophy

With the Duleep Trophy 2024 underway, India A skipper Shubman Gill shared his thoughts in an exclusive interview on JioCinema. The top-order batter discussed the competitiveness of the Duleep Trophy, his performance against England, the challenges of batting at No. 3, and his expectations for the upcoming Bangladesh series.

Gill spoke about the opportunity to play against his teammates in the domestic competition, both as a batter and bowler. He added how it is extremely competitive and puts up a great atmosphere for players.

The 24-year-old spoke about the competitiveness of the Duleep Trophy, "It's going to be fun. Whenever we’re together as a team, we often talk about playing against each other – and here’s a great opportunity for both batters and bowlers. It’ll be pretty competitive with a very good atmosphere as well."

Gill further spoke about his performance in the England Test series, "That was a big confidence boost for me, especially after losing the first Test match. Quite a few players were unavailable, so there was pressure on us to win the series. I had never played five Test matches before, so it was a good experience and exciting to feel that intensity. Even after getting breaks following two Test matches, we never dropped that intensity."

On the challenges of batting at No.3 in Tests, "Quite often, when you’re playing in a different position, everyone knows your potential, but you still have to prove yourself. In the initial matches when I played as number three, I couldn’t perform well – against West Indies and South Africa. I was getting good starts, scoring 20s and 30s, but I wasn’t able to convert them. When I returned, I knew I had to turn these performances around. Moving forward, my goal is to convert my fifties into big hundreds."

Putting light on the upcoming Bangladesh series, Gill avoided downplaying the Asian side, adding how any international cannot be underestimated. Bangladesh's recent show against Pakistan was noteworthy and they would be aiming to put up a challenging show for India as well.

On the expectations from the upcoming Bangladesh series, "I don’t think you can underestimate any international side. The kind of cricket Bangladesh has played in the last couple of months, especially in Pakistan, has been impressive. Their fast bowlers and the way their middle-order batters have absorbed pressure shouldn’t be disregarded. So, I believe it will be an interesting and intriguing contest."