New Delhi: Shubman Gill was officially named India’s 37th Test captain on May 24, ahead of the team’s upcoming five-match series in England starting June 20 at Leeds. The right-handed batter from Punjab will make his captaincy debut in the longest format during the series opener at Headingley.
The announcement was confirmed by Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar during India’s squad reveal for the England tour. With 32 Tests already under his belt, Gill steps into the leadership role with high expectations.
At a pre-departure press conference in Mumbai on June 5, Gill shared insights into his captaincy approach. Having previously captained India in five T20 Internationals against Zimbabwe last year, he emphasized leading through his performance rather than adopting any fixed leadership style.
“There is no particular style that I want to follow. I like to communicate with the players, make them feel secure, talk to them about their weaknesses and strengths, give them comfort and bond with them… it is very important when you are a captain of any team. The players can give their 100 per cent only when they feel very secure,” Gill said.
He added, “As a captain, you definitely want to be able to lead by example, by your performance in any match that you play. When I am batting out there, I just want to play as a batsman, and I want to take decisions as a batsman. Having said that, averages and numbers are not something that I look at, but I definitely want to lead the way by my performance.”
Gill’s appointment for the Test captaincy came over established leaders like Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant—all of whom have previous Test captaincy experience or are key players for India. While his selection surprised some fans, it aligned with his growing leadership role in India’s white-ball setup and prior captaincy of the India A team.
As India embarks on this crucial England tour, all eyes will be on Gill as he takes charge, hoping to inspire the team with both his batting and leadership.
