'If they have picked him ahead of Yashasvi Jaiswal, and as many felt, Sanju Samson, you can imagine how extremely privileged he is.'
With his elegant batting and ever-growing fan base, Shubman Gill is steadily carving a niche for himself as the next poster boy of Indian cricket.
Touted as the natural heir to the legacy of Indian batting greats, Gill has seamlessly transitioned from a promising U-19 star to a key figure in the senior national setup.
The BCCI's increasing inclination to position Gill at the forefront -- evident in leadership trials -- reflects the board's long-term vision of grooming him as the face of Indian cricket in the post-Kohli-Rohit era.
The 26 year old captains the Test team and is vice captain for the ODI and T20 sides. He is expected to be named the ODI captain as the forthcoming limited overs tour of Australia could be the 38-year-old Rohit Sharma's final outing in an India shirt.
Gill's return to the T20 team for the ongoing Asia Cup -- that too as vice-captain despite the presence of more experienced candidates -- has had its share of controversy.
It led to a shake-up in the batting order, with the team opting to open with Gill and Abhishek Sharma, pushing Sanju Samson, a regular opener in the last few series, into an unfamiliar middle-order role where he was preferred over proven finisher Jitesh Sharma.
T20 Skipper Suryakumar Yadav, now 34, is seen by many as a stop-gap captain due to age and fitness concerns, and it may just be a matter of time before Gill assumes the mantle from him.
Retired cricketer Ajay Jadeja believes Gill possesses the skills and temperament to perform consistently and remain a relevant figure for many years and that's the reason why he's being 'treated differently'.
'He is the chosen one of Indian cricket. Everyone already has high expectations of him. He has a special talent; there is no two ways about it. If they have picked him ahead of Yashasvi Jaiswal, and as many felt, Sanju Samson, you can imagine how extremely privileged he is.'
'And the only reason is that people think he is in it for the long haul. He has the consistency; is looked at as India's future captain. That's why he is getting advantages. That's the only pressure he will feel, of privilege, not about his place in the team,' Jadeja said on the Sony Sports Network.
Gill slammed an unbeaten 9-ball 20 studded with two fours and a six in India's facile win over the UAE in their Asia Cup opener, and Jadeja is certain that his strike rate will improve as the tournament progresses.
'Whatever we saw from this little innings from him, he has repaid the faith. Because when you play eight batters, your own consistency won't matter. You are expected to do well, but that six that he hit, I think, going forward, his strike rate will improve, but consistency might dip a little.'