‘Thankful to BCCI, don t want to over-think’:Rishabh Pant set to make Test captaincy debut in Guwahati; Gill’s replacement decided but unrevealed

Rishabh Pant will step in as captain for India in the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati, beginning Saturday. Pant takes charge after regular captain Shubman Gill was ruled out due to a neck spasm and subsequently released from the squad by the BCCI. The situation presents a sudden leadership shift for India, who trail 1-0 in the two-match series. Pant admitted that taking over in a single-match scenario is far from ideal, but he remains determined to stay calm and focused. India suffered a tough defeat in the first Test at Eden Gardens, making the upcoming match a must-win for the hosts to level the series. Pant acknowledges challenge of sudden captaincy Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Pant shared his thoughts on the unexpected responsibility. “One-off match is not best scenario for a captain but I am thankful to BCCI for giving me this honour. Sometimes, if you think too much about a big occasion, it doesn t help,” he said. He added that his priority is to keep things simple and focus on winning the match. “(I) don t want to over-think. We had a tough first Test and we need to do whatever is required to win the Test,” Pant stated. Replacement for Gill decided but unrevealed Pant confirmed that the team management has already chosen a replacement opener for Gill but refused to disclose the name publicly. “We have taken a decision on who will play in place of Shubman. The person who will play knows he is playing.” He also discussed his captaincy approach, aiming to combine traditional tactics and creative thinking. “I want to be conventional and also blend with out-of-box thinking. Want to have nice balance…We have to keep things simple and the team that plays better cricket will win it.” Praise for Gill’s efforts to recover quickly Pant appreciated Gill’s determination to make himself available for the match despite his injury. “Shubman was keen to play the match. He showed resilience even when body was not permitting and that s the attitude you want to see.” Pant revealed that he learned about his captaincy role only a day earlier. “I am having a chat with Gill everyday. I got to know about captaincy yesterday evening,” he said.