Watch: Shubman Gill hands over trophy to youngsters after series win in Zimbabwe

India captain Shubman Gill channelled his inner MS Dhoni as he handed over the trophy to four young debutants following Men in Blue's 4-1 series win against hosts Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club on Sunday, July 14.

The series, which began with a shocking loss for India, saw them making a strong comeback. In the final match, India posted a competitive 167/6, thanks to contributions from Sanju Samson (58) and Riyan Parag (22), along with a late cameo from Shivam Dube (26 off 12). Zimbabwe faltered in the chase early, and despite some contributions from Tadiwanashe Marumani (27), Dion Myers (34), and Faraz Akram (27), they were bundled out for 125, handing India a 42-run victory.

However, it was Gill's post-match gesture that hogged the limelight, as he handed the trophy to newcomers Riyan Parag, Tushar Deshpande, Dhruv Jurel, and Abhishek Sharma. Gill not only celebrated their T20I debuts but also embraced a tradition started by the legendary Dhoni and continued by subsequent captains like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Also read: Shubman Gill opens up on competition for opening spot

At just 24 years old, the opener has already shown promise as a leader, having recently taken over as captain of the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024. While his IPL campaign did not go as per plans, his international captaincy debut has certainly left all impressed.

As Indian cricket looks to the future, Gill's performance both on and off the field brings him up as a long-term leadership prospect. With senior players like Rohit, Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja retired, India's T20I transition is underway and Gill's role will be crucual for the team.

The Indian team will be gearing up for the next challenge now, as they take on Sri Lanka in three ODIs and as many T20Is in July-August. The BCCI is expected to announce the squads soon and speculation mounts over the leadership roles, with KL Rahul expected to take the ODI captaincy and Hardik Pandya set to lead in T20Is.