Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that India's new Test leadership group — Shubman Gill , Yashasvi Jaiswal , and Rishabh Pant — must collectively take on the mantle once shouldered almost single-handedly by Virat Kohli during his prime years.
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Vaughan acknowledged the strong performances by India's young batters in the ongoing Test series against England but cautioned that replacing a player of Kohli's stature goes far beyond just early success.
"They [Gill, Jaiswal and Pant] now have to drag this Indian Test team forward like Virat did single-handedly," Vaughan said in an interview with PTI. "There's a group of them that I see that play the game the right way."
He said the trio have the potential to leave behind a lasting legacy if they match even a fraction of what Kohli brought to Indian Test cricket in terms of intensity and global dominance.
"If they can be anywhere near as close as what he brought to the Test match team — the energy and number-one status for such a long period of time — they'll have done a decent job."
With Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepping away from the Test format ahead of the England series, Vaughan feels the transition has been smooth but warned against underestimating the void left behind.
"You can't move on so suddenly after two legends have retired or moved out of the team," he said.
Vaughan emphasised that Kohli's biggest contribution was his "competitive energy and intensity", traits he hopes Gill will develop as captain over time.
Despite India's recent heartbreak in two WTC finals , Vaughan remains optimistic.
"With the talent India has, I wouldn't be worried. But I would want my Test team to be more consistent and competitive in all conditions."
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
Vaughan acknowledged the strong performances by India's young batters in the ongoing Test series against England but cautioned that replacing a player of Kohli's stature goes far beyond just early success.
"They [Gill, Jaiswal and Pant] now have to drag this Indian Test team forward like Virat did single-handedly," Vaughan said in an interview with PTI. "There's a group of them that I see that play the game the right way."
He said the trio have the potential to leave behind a lasting legacy if they match even a fraction of what Kohli brought to Indian Test cricket in terms of intensity and global dominance.
"If they can be anywhere near as close as what he brought to the Test match team — the energy and number-one status for such a long period of time — they'll have done a decent job."
With Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepping away from the Test format ahead of the England series, Vaughan feels the transition has been smooth but warned against underestimating the void left behind.
"You can't move on so suddenly after two legends have retired or moved out of the team," he said.
Vaughan emphasised that Kohli's biggest contribution was his "competitive energy and intensity", traits he hopes Gill will develop as captain over time.
Despite India's recent heartbreak in two WTC finals , Vaughan remains optimistic.
"With the talent India has, I wouldn't be worried. But I would want my Test team to be more consistent and competitive in all conditions."
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