Shubman Gill: The Man Likely to Lead India in the Upcoming England Test Series
England Highlights Shubman Gill's Lack of Experience: 'Ideally, BCCI May Prefer Bumrah as India Captain Instead...'
India's next Test captain is on the horizon, and it's looking pretty certain that Shubman Gill will be the one to step up. With Rohit Sharma hanging up his Test boots last week, there's been a mad dash to figure out who'll take the reins. And it seems like Gill, despite his youth and relative inexperience, is the front-runner for the job.
Moeen Ali, former England all-rounder, believes Gill is the right choice, but he also points out the youngster's inexperience when it comes to leading in Test matches. Moeen states that ideally, BCCI would have wanted Jasprit Bumrah to lead India against England, given his impressive leadership abilities. However, with his injury record, it might be best to keep him on the side-lines for now.
Bumrah previously led India in Rohit Sharma's absence during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia and even led the team to victory in the Perth Test. But a back spasm in Sydney resulted in him being sidelined, and rumors started swirling about his potential as captain.
Gill, who's set to tour England for the upcoming five-match series, hasn't made big numbers in white-ball cricket. With just a 35 average in Test cricket, which drops to 29 in away Tests, Gill will have to prove himself if he's to lead India to victory on English soil.
Despite some concerns about his batting average, Gill's leadership experience with Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and his past performances in key tournaments like the ICC Champions Trophy make him an attractive candidate for the job.
Gill has been tipped as India's future captain, and it looks like the BCCI is backing him as their long-term leader. While former players like Ravichandran Ashwin and Kris Srikkanth have thrown their support behind Jasprit Bumrah as a captaincy option, Bumrah's fitness concerns might mean he's unable to captain India for a full series.
Virat Kohli was considered for a recall as Test captain, but the selectors and BCCI seem keen on grooming Gill for the role. Whether Gill is ready for the challenge remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure—this young gun is ready to write his own chapter in Indian cricket history.
- Shubman Gill
- Jasprit Bumrah
Where will Gill bat?
Gill kick-started his Test career as an opener but was later slotted in at No.3 after Cheteshwar Pujara started to fade away. During the West Indies tour in 2023, he volunteered for the position under then-head coach Rahul Dravid. It's unclear if Gill will switch things up after becoming the captain unless he believes the No.4 slot, left vacant by Virat Kohli's retirement, is the perfect fit.
Apart from Shreyas Iyer, who was a part of India's Test squad when they last toured England, other hopefuls trying to fill Kohli’s enormous shoes include Sarfaraz Khan, Rajat Patidar, and Dhruv Jurel.
Rishabh Pant is also expected to be named as vice-captain alongside Gill, providing crucial support for the young captain in the leadership group.
Sources:[1] https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/article/shubman-gill-the-young-gun-tipped-to-take-over-the-reins-as-india-s-next-test-captain/791028[2] https://www.insidesport.co/shubman-gill-ip-survey-bcci-india-next-test-captain/[3] https://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/122543/indias-next-test-captain-shubman-gill-the-most-suitable-candidate-according-ex-player-ashwin[4] https://www.news18.com/news/sports/tick-tock-apart-from-shubman-gill-here-s-who-will-bat-in-indian-captain-s-spot-no-4-and-whether-this-tweak-will-pay-off-7415721.html[5] https://www.dnaindia.com/sports/report-india-name-shubman-gill-as-test-captain-for-england-series-2989988
Shubman Gill, who is likely to lead India in the upcoming England Test Series, has previously batted at No.3 or No.4, but it's unclear if he will switch things up after becoming the captain. Rishabh Pant is expected to be named as the vice-captain, providing crucial support for Gill in the leadership group.
