By Parv Anand

New Delhi [India], February 16 (ANI): Gujarat Ttians COO Colonel Arvinder Singh is waiting to see one of the franchise's most prized assets, Shubman Gill, don the captaincy role of the Indian men's team in the future.

Gill, a young prodigy in the Indian setup, has risen quickly through the ranks of the domestic circuit at a young age to the international level. In his journey, he has continued substantiating himself as the most prominent prospect after stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Besides his prolific batting skillset, Gill has proved his mettle by shouldering the captaincy responsibility for Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League.

Arvinder expects Gill to continue with his captaincy duties in the cash-rich league and elevate his status in the Indian team's leadership hierarchy in the future.

'Absolutely, I see no reason why he should not. We are waiting for the day when he possibly becomes the captain of the Indian team. We would be very happy. He could be the future of Indian cricket. If he gets everything the way he has been doing now and better, there should be no reason why he should not,' Arvinder told ANI.

Signs are on the wall that Gill will be potentially considered for a leadership role in the future. He led India to a 4-1 T20I series win over Zimbabwe in 2024 and has now been handed the task of serving as Rohit's deputy in the upcoming Champions Trophy.

Right after the marquee event, Gill would need to shift his focus on GT, looking to find the winning formula for his side after a scrappy run in the previous edition.

From lifting the title in their debut season in 2022 to enduring a collapse in 2024, GT has endured the hardships and challenges of one of the most competitive leagues.

After featuring in two finals under Hardik Pandya on the trot, GT's admirable run went off the tracks. With Gill taking over the helm, filling in the void created by Pandya's departure, GT's campaign ended in the group stage at the eighth spot with just five wins.

For the upcoming season, GT went hard for established stars, including Jos Buttler, Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada and Gerald Coetzee, to reignite their hunt for the second title.

Arvinder and the franchise feel satisfied with the troops assembled before the tournament, just like in 2022.

'Absolutely, who won't be? Let me take you back to 2022. Who in his right frame of mind gave us an iota of a chance of becoming champions in 2022? Everybody said they didn't know what they were doing at the auction table and that in the first year, they became champions, beginners' luck. Our worry is that when everybody said that we didn't know what we were doing, we made a bad team and became champions,' he said.

'The problem is nobody has won the IPL trophy on the auction table. It is only going to happen how we perform. All ten teams are trying to win the same trophy. It is a level playing field. We were happy with our team in 2022, and we are happy with our team in 2025,' he added.

Apart from the IPL, GT celebrated the triumphant finale of the 'Junior Titans' Season Two in Ahmedabad. The initiative, themed 'Let's Sport Out,' is designed to spark a love for outdoor sports among children under 14, a press release from the franchise stated.

'Our intention is very simple: just come out and play. Not specifically cricket, you do whatever you want to play. It is very important for children to engage in physical activity at this age. We aim to motivate children to come out and play,' he said about the 'Junior Titans' initiative.

The innovative initiative travelled across five cities in Gujarat, starting from Junagadh, then Bhavnagar, Bharuch, Palanpur, and finally culminating in Ahmedabad. Children came out in huge numbers across the five cities, with over 5,000 children from 106 schools participating.

One of the key highlights of this season was the partnership with Pokemon. As a part of the association, children were given a chance to meet Pikachu, their beloved Pokemon, and participate in thrilling activities with exciting merchandise as prizes.

Arvinder sees the initiative to continue in the coming years and said, 'We don't do anything from a short-term perspective. We do a lot of analysis and planning to do all this in the right manner.' (ANI)