Shubman Gill: A new chapter starts as India’s Test captain
Getty Images At 25, Gill is India’s 37th Test captain and amongst the youngest Nearly 3 weeks after Rohit Sharma’s unexpected retirement from Test cricket, the Indian cricket board has actually ended speculation of his follower by calling Shubman Gill as India’s brand-new captain for the upcoming five-Test series versus England in June.At 25, Gill becomes India’s 37th Test captain -and one of its youngest, after Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev and Ravi Shastri.His consultation marks a turning point for Indian cricket. The team he leads is without batting greats Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, spin stalwart R Ashwin who retired 6 months back, and pace spearhead Mohammed Shami,
who was sidelined due to fitness concerns.The group is rich in young batting talent however will miss the experience of Kohli and Sharma. Regardless Of Jaspreet Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammad Siraj, the bowling attack still feels a touch raw.
Contributing to Gill’s challenge: India have not won a Test series in England since 2007.
His appointment followed extreme deliberations between chief selector Ajit Agarkar, coach Gautam Gambhir, and backchannel talks with other contenders.Though Bumrah seemed the
natural choice after functioning as vice-captain in Australia, issues over his capability to take on the workload of a five-Test series tipped the scales in Gill’s favour. Getty Images Constant run-getting as a junior, fast-tracked Gill(right)into the under-19 ranks A prodigy from Punjab state, Gill has actually long carried the weight of expectation with elegance.He burst into the spotlight in 2014, not yet 15, hammering 351 in a world-record opening
stand of 587 with Nirmal Singh in the Punjab Inter-District ML Markan Trophy. It was a knock that vindicated his household’s vibrant move from the border village of Chak Kherewala to Mohali, looking for much better training and higher exposure for the young talent.Consistent run-getting as a junior, fast-tracked him into the under-19 ranks which is where Gill actually made his first big impact.Vice-captain of the group that played the 2017-18 U-19 World Cup, he emerged as the leading run aggregator for India, highlighted by an expert, unbeaten 102 versus arch rivals Pakistan in the semi-final. In the last where India beat Australia, Gill scored a helpful 31. At the time, all eyes were on Prithvi Shaw -the U-19 captain whose Mumbai school child feats drew comparisons with Tendulkar. His increase was meteoric: a Test launching century, another right after. However by 2020, his profession had actually started to unravel.Temporarily sidelined, Gill made an instant influence on his Ranji Prize launching with a half-century, followed by a century. Under Yuvraj Singh’s mentorship, he sharpened both his batting and game awareness.Prolific runs pushed selectors to consider Gill as Shaw’s replacement. He debuted in Tests in Melbourne, December 2020, during India’s unforgettable return series win.Tall and graceful, Gill’s technical precision and sophisticated stroke play-specifically front of the wicket-set him apart as a promising young talent. Nicknamed the’Prince’by his family, the title soon became his cricketing identity.
Hailed as the Next Big Thing, he’s widely tipped to succeed Virat Kohli as the next generation’s leading batsman.That pledge remains unverified. Like Kohli, Gill is an all-format player, however unlike Kohli’s early supremacy, Gill has yet to show the same ambition and match-winning impact -especially in Tests, where his 1,893 runs in 32 matches are solid but not impressive. AFP through Getty Images Gill (ideal) is captaining the IPL side Gujarat Titans in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL)
Gill’s first captaincy, less than 5 years after his Test debut, comes at a critical point in his career.With enough international experience to raise his batting from good to fantastic, he now deals with a stern test against England’s Bazball design of play in tough conditions. Success here would be a major increase to his standing as a leading Test player.But it is as captain that Gill most likely faces tougher challenges.The England series started India’s brand-new World Test Champion cycle, following 2 finals looks but a disappointing early exit in the last one. India’s recent Test type has been poor, with back-to-back series losses to New Zealand and Australia.To pull India out of the current rut, Gill will have to lead the way as batter as well as captain in charge of a new-look team, whose dressing-room and dynamics he will have to comprehend and, possibly, reshape.” Gill is a boy we are purchasing not just for one series, but for the next five-six years to take Indian cricket ahead, “stated chief selector Ajit Agarkar.That ought to be a significant reassurance for the new captain. While his consultation brings its share of pressure, it also brings immense hope -and an opportunity to carve his own legacy in
Indian cricket history.