India, July 9 -- Shubman Gill's historic start to his Test captaincy may have injected fresh optimism into Indian cricket, but Sourav Ganguly believes the challenges are only beginning. The former India captain, celebrating his 53rd birthday on Tuesday, reflected on the young skipper's dazzling performances and issued a reminder that the pressure of leadership will only grow from here.

"This is the best I've seen him bat and I'm not surprised," Ganguly said at Eden Gardens while speaking to reporters during his birthday celebration. Gill, in his debut series as captain, has already piled up 585 runs at a staggering average of 146.25, including three centuries, one of which was a double ton, across the two Tests so far.

India's emphatic ...