The recently retiring Rohit Sharma has been replaced by Shubman Gill as India’s newest Test Captain. Gill will begin his term with the five-match series against England that begins at Leeds on June 20th. When the 15-member team was selected for the forthcoming tour on Saturday, the news was formally announced on behalf of the BCCI. With this, the 25-year-old Gill becomes the 37th test captain to lead India in test match cricket. Additionally, it signifies that Indian cricket will have three captains for the first time ever. Rohit for ODIs, Gill for test matches, and Suryakumar Yadav for T20Is.
To the fans, it wasn’t really shocking that Shubman Gill was chosen as the captain. He was expected, but it also raised some legitimate concerns. Is Gill the most qualified person in the team that the selectors considered? Jasprit Bumrah was long considered Rohit’s replacement, but his back injury in Australia put that plan on hold. Another name was Rishabh Pant, who has proven himself as a batsman abroad, but Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the selectors and BCCI, believes that Pant will be the most suitable to be Gill’s deputy or the vice-captain. Unlike Rahul and Bumrah, who have only served as interim replacements, Gill has been appointed India’s full-time test captain.
India’s youngest Test captains
Gill, who is only 25, has already become one of the youngest players to occupy the captaincy in recent years. He has led India in a 5-match T20 international series in Zimbabwe in 2024. Keeping everything aside, he was selected despite the fact that he has no experience as a captain in the red ball format. Gill also captained the Indian Premier League’s Gujarat Titans. Here is a list of all India’s youngest test captains to date:
- Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi 21 years, 77 days vs West Indies, Bridgetown – March 23, 1962
- Sachin Tendulkar 23 years, 169 days vs Australia, Delhi – October 10, 1996
- Kapil Dev 24 years, 48 days vs West Indies, Kingston – February 23, 1983
- Ravi Shastri 25 years, 229 days vs West Indies, Chennai – January 11, 1988
- Shubman Gill 25 years, 285 days vs England, Leeds – June 20, 2025
Shubman Gill Career Overview
Gill has participated in 32 test matches and scored 1893 runs, including five centuries. His promotion to the position reflects the selectors’ preference for long-term continuity as the squad enters a new World Test Championship cycle.
Shubman Gill hasn’t yet established himself in the test team therefore, there are questions over whether he has been forced into the captaincy role. Which test 250 is in 24 innings and an average of just 25, he has scored 559 runs in 13 games thus far in SENA nations and the West Indies. Gill has yet to reach a century in either of these areas since his match-winning 91 in the renowned Brisbane
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