Shubman Gill has been appointed as India’s new Test captain for the upcoming five-Test series in England, which begins on 20 June. In a change in leadership, Rishabh Pant takes up the role of vice-captain, succeeding Jasprit Bumrah, who fulfilled that role during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, stepping in as captain for the two Tests Rohit Sharma was absent from. With Rohit’s retirement from Test cricket, a new leader was needed.
Ajit Agarkar, the head of the selection committee, shared insights at a Mumbai press conference, revealing deliberations that led to Gill’s selection. “You discuss every option that’s there,” Agarkar explained. “Over the last year, we’ve looked at Shubman. We’ve taken feedback from the dressing room as well. And we’re hopeful we’ve picked the right guy.”
Despite being the vice-captain on India’s tour of Australia, Bumrah’s opportunities were limited, largely due to workload management, making Gill the natural choice. Gill’s rise has also been accelerated by his leadership during India’s 2024 T20 series in Zimbabwe, where he captained in five T20 Internationals due to the absence of several first-choice players post the T20 World Cup victory.
Having made his Test debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground during India’s 2020-21 tour of Australia, Gill has since played 32 Tests, amassing 1,893 runs at an average of 35.05. Notably, his home average of 42.03 contrasts with his away average of 27.53. While this series represents his first full tour of England, he did participate in the World Test Championship finals there in 2021 and 2023, as well as the rescheduled fifth Test of the 2021 series.
India’s upcoming matches in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle commence with Tests at Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford, and The Oval. Additionally, the team will play a four-day fixture against India A at Beckenham, from 13 to 16 June, as a warm-up to the series.
As the cricket community anticipates the start of this challenging series, the focus will be on how Gill’s leadership shapes India’s performance in a new World Test Championship cycle.
