NEW DELHI: Having worked closely with Shubman Gill as the batting coach of Gujarat Titans, Parthiv Patel is confident that the young Indian skipper will handle leadership with ease, describing him as a decisive and assertive individual.

The 40-year-old former India wicketkeeper-batter, who collaborated with Gill during the last edition of the Indian Premier League, was particularly impressed by his "inclusive nature," a trait he considers essential for effective leadership.

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"Gautam (Gambhir) has spent extensive time with him now but what I have seen of him (Gill), he does prepare a lot for all kinds of situations and I have seen over one season, assertiveness of his decisions and he is very sure of what he wants to do," Parthiv told PTI during an exclusive interaction.

"In Shubman's leadership, there is either "Yes" or "No". There is no place for "May Be". As a leader and captain, you need to have that assertiveness about decisions you take and he definitely has that," added the former wicketkeeper-batter, who is working as media pundit in the ongoing Test series between India and the West Indies.

While many have debated whether Gill is being fast-tracked into multi-format leadership, Parthiv believes it is a "progressive decision" that will ultimately benefit Indian cricket.

"Shubman has shown leadership skills leading Gujarat Titans in the IPL for the past two years, how he led the Test side in England, it is a great decision (to elevate him) and we are moving in the right direction," Parthiv had very little doubt.

During his stint with Gujarat Titans last season, what impressed Parthiv most about Gill's leadership was his adaptability and ability to read situations quickly. According to Parthiv, Gill doesn't operate with a rigid set of ideas but adjusts his approach based on the game's demands.

"He is always open to suggestions. As a leader, he is an inclusive person and that's what you want in a captain," said Parthiv, who was considered a fine captain in domestic cricket where he led Gujarat for a decade.

Leading Ro-Ko is least of problems

Parthiv, who has shared the field extensively with both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, believes Gill will have no trouble leading the two senior pros, describing them as flexible and accommodating individuals.

"I don't think that it will be a problem because of the kind of characters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are. You look at Virat, he became captain when MS Dhoni was still playing. He knows what role a senior plays in grooming a new captain," he said.

"Same thing was there when Rohit became the captain. Yes, Virat wasn't his senior but nevertheless a former skipper.

"Obviously, they have gone through that phase and understand the decision, which is about betterment of Indian cricket, both of them always come across as mature. I don't think Shubman needs to put in his energies behind managing those senior players."

Ro-Ko will have to remain match-fit

Parthiv has no doubt that Rohit and Kohli are both working hard in the nets like they have always done but with the ODI World Cup still two years away, the challenge would be to remain match-fit.

"Two years is a long time and especially if you see there aren't too many ODI games. Like earlier times when there used to be 20-25 games a year, you get on a roll and before you know two years have passed by.

"But it is a different challenge and we are also new to this kind of a challenge. The challenge is to keep themselves match-fit."

Parthiv feels that if the duo plans to play Vijay Hazare games in between the South Africa and New Zealand ODIs, it will only help them stay in the groove.

"I would definitely feel that they should play Vijay Hazare Trophy. It is not about setting an example like 'We have made Kohli and Rohit play Vijay Hazare'. That's not how I would like to think.

"Playing Hazare Trophy will help their own game and that in turn will help the Indian cricket team."

Burn-out is a non-issue

It is expected that Gill, who is leader in Tests and ODIs, would become an all-format captain going forward but Parthiv isn't one bit worried about burn-out concerns.

"If Shubman would have been 35, I would have definitely feared that but not when he is 25. He is someone who understands his game and takes his game higher," he said.

(With PTI Inputs)