Bhubaneswar, Dec. 29 -- Soon after Shubman Gill was unexpectedly dropped from India's T20 World Cup scheme - a decision that effectively stalled his rise toward becoming a future all-format captain - former England spinner Monty Panesar offered a blunt assessment. According to Panesar, Gill's approach lacks the sharpness required to shoulder leadership responsibilities across formats.

In May, the BCCI had signalled strong faith in Gill, especially after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli moved away from Test cricket. Gill repaid that confidence with a historic run-scoring spree in England, where he also captained India to a respectable 2-2 series draw. Buoyed by that success, the board expanded its long-term leadership plans around him, reintr...