His middle-order colleague Shahrukh Khan, felt it was Gill’s ‘openness’ that stood out from his other leadership aspects. “He has really grown as a captain,” he said in a media interaction on Tuesday. “He is somebody who is really open for suggestions. It doesn’t happen regularly with a lot of players where a captain is open for suggestions. No matter what he is thinking on the field, the other players suggest a few things and he is very open to it,” he added.

He also stressed the importance of that characteristic in leading the team to victories. “He might go ahead with his plans, but to listen is an art in itself. And he is really good at it. And as a captain, his success has been remarkable,” he stated.

Gill’s marshalling of his bowlers has impressed the 29-year old batter. “The way he is handling Rashid Khan… if he falters a bit, he knows what to tell him. It’s the same with the bowlers like Rabada and the Indian bowlers (Mohammed Siraj and Purple cap-holder Krishna). Even when Sai bowls as well, I walk in sometimes, just cross them when they are at the top of the run-up. And the conversations are so smooth and so clear,” he added.