Shubman Gill is relishing the responsibility of captaincy and has found a way to compartmentalize his leadership role from his batting. Gill's captaincy began after Rohit Sharma's unexpected retirement from Test cricket in May 2025. Despite some initial reservations from critics, Gill has answered them emphatically with his performance in the ongoing Test series against England.
In the second Test against England at Edgbaston, Gill became the first batsman in Test history to score 250 and 150 in the same match. He scored 269 in the first innings and followed it up with 161 off just 162 balls in the second innings. Gill's performance helped India set England a target of 608 to win. Ultimately, India won the match by 336 runs, leveling the series 1-1. Gill was named Player of the Match.
Gill has amassed 585 runs in four innings at an average of 146.25. In the first Test at Leeds, he scored 147 off 227 balls in the first innings. With three centuries in the series, Gill seems to be enjoying leading from the front. Gill has surpassed Virat Kohli's record for most runs by an Indian batter in their debut series as captain. Kohli scored 449 runs during the 2014-15 tour of Australia. Gill now holds the record.
Gill said he feels comfortable with his game, and it would be great if India could win the series with his contributions. He aims to play and make decisions as a batsman. As captain, sometimes risks cannot be taken that a batsman might consider.
Shubman Gill's 430 runs in the Edgbaston Test placed him at the top of India's Test cricket history. He set a new record for the most runs scored by an Indian in a single Test, surpassing Sunil Gavaskar's 344 runs against the West Indies in 1971. Gill became the first captain to score a double century and 150 in a single Test. His innings of 269 included 30 fours and three sixes, lasting for 509 minutes. He demonstrated patience and skill, tiring out the English bowlers. His smart bowling changes kept England under pressure.
India managed to take 20 wickets in the match, even without Jasprit Bumrah. Gill confirmed that Bumrah would return for the Lord's Test after being rested to manage his workload. Gill is excited about playing his first Test at Lord's, which begins on July 10.
