The stage is set for a grand start to the five-match Test series between India and England, as Shubman Gill will lead a relatively young Indian side in the Tests for the first time in his career.
The batter shoulders the enormous task of replicating the success left behind by two of India's greatest modern-day personalities - Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
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The series kickstarts a new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for Team India, with the first match to be played in Headingly, Leeds, on Friday, June 20.
Gill will be the fifth youngest captain to lead India in the longest format, and the series vs. England serves as his first big assignment.
With a lot of expectations surrounding the new Indian skipper, KL Rahul has a piece of advice for his compatriot before going into the much-anticipated clash.
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KL Rahul's advice for Shubman Gill after captaincy announcement
In a recent interview with Sony Sports Network, KL Rahul revealed that he was among the first ones to reach out to Shubman Gill post the announcement of him succeeding the outgoing Rohit Sharma as captain in the red-ball format.
He further mentioned that he assured the new Test team captain of any kind of help from his side but also believes in giving people a bit of space to follow their gut instinct.
"I reached out to Shubman the minute the team was announced, and when he was announced (as) the captain. (I told him) You will always find me around, any help, any guidance, if you need someone to share something with or talk to, I’m always there. But I believe you need to give people their space to really follow their gut instinct. If they need help, I’m always there."
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He further acknowledged that people make mistakes, but that won't change the equation between him and Gill, as they have been playing together for a long time now.
"We have been together. (If) we don’t get results our way. Somewhere along the way, everyone makes mistakes. That’s not going to change. We are going to try and help out everyone in the team. I’m always there."
KL Rahul will look to have a better outing this time around after a disastrous overall performance against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024/25, which saw India lose the series 3-1 and, in turn, bow out of contention for the World Test Championship Final in June.