It’s prime time. From the moment Shubman Gill took the field as India’s Test captain at Leeds on June 20 last year, a switch has been flipped. He was billed as India’s great batter and labelled as ‘Prince’; Gill was expected to take over from ‘King’ Virat Kohli. Despite starting his Test career with 259 runs in 3 matches in Australia, the batter from Punjab averaged a mere 35.05 when named Rohit Sharma’s successor.
Shubman Gill at the peak of his powers
The selectors were criticised for Gill’s appointment. You can’t forget that he was dropped from the team in the previous Test series, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. But, from the moment he had the ‘c’ written next to his name, Gill’s game has gone to another level.
The first day of the India vs Afghanistan one-off Test was the ninth time Gill stepped onto the field as a Test captain. When the clock showed 5, he had registered his 6th hundred as skipper. Only 4 men – Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin, Sunil Gavaskar, and Virat Kohli – have more Test tons as Indian captains.
Gill faced 143 deliveries and played just 10 false shots (mistimes, edges, and misses). He was in total control throughout. Afghanistan tried to target his pads with the inswinger and reverse, but it didn’t work. Gill worked on his technique when it came to the incoming ball, and it was apparent in England itself that he wouldn’t be in trouble for LBW and bowled dismissals.
Most hundreds as Test captain for India
- 20 – Virat Kohli (113 innings)
- 11 – Sunil Gavaskar (74 innings)
- 9 – Mohammad Azharuddin (78 innings)
- 7 – Sachin Tendulkar (43 innings)
- 6 – Shubman Gill (15 innings)
It’s taken him just 15 innings to score 1,000 runs as India’s Test captain, just one more than the Indian all-time record held by Gavaskar of 14 innings. Doing so in 351 days, making him the fastest to get there. It’s been an all-time peak. His career average has gone from 35.05 to 44.63 in 12 months. Only once has been crossed the 50-run mark and not reached triple figures.
Gill’s rewriting is consistent as we speak. All those years spent hailing him as India’s next big thing and all the backing from Kohli, Rohit, Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid weren’t for nothing. Forget ‘here to stay’; Gill’s here to dominate. He’s done in India and England. Now, it’s time to tick other boxes.
In the next 10 months, India will face New Zealand away and Australia at home. These 7 matches could define Gill’s legacy, and he might reach new heights. He’s already got 11 hundreds in the World Test Championship, the most for an Indian, and might overtake the likes of Kane Williamson, Travis Head, and Steve Smith.
Shubman Gill batting stats in Tests
| Inns | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Captain | 15 | 1053 | 269 | 87.75 | 65.52 | 6 | 1 |
| Not captain | 59 | 1893 | 128 | 35.05 | 59.92 | 5 | 7 |
