Shubman Gill will begin his Test captaincy stint with the tour of England next month.
The series, slated to get underway on June 20 in Leeds, marks the beginning of a new chapter for Indian Test cricket following the recent retirements of veteran batters -- Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
With Rohit leaving the Test arena earlier this month, Gill was widely tipped to take over the leadership role. A consistent performer in all formats and already seen as a long-term prospect, the young batter will now take charge in one of the most challenging overseas assignments.
Shubman has been picked ahead of Jasprit Bumrah, who had already captained India in three Tests, including two matches in the absence of Rohit in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25.
The BCCI selectors’ decision has received a big thumbs-up from former England captains -- Nasser Hussain and Eoin Morgan. They believe Gill is ready to take the Indian Test team forward after the retirements of Rohit, Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin.
“Nine months ago, if you put on a probable squad for India, you would probably have Ravi Ashwin in there, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma — three of the greats of Indian cricket. Well, they have all retired. With Rohit retiring, you need a new captain. Shubman gets that role, a great honour for him to be captain of India,” Hussain said while speaking to Sky Sports.
According to Hussain, Bumrah could have been a good choice for captaincy as well but Gill’s appointment suggests that the selectors are looking at the long term.
“Jasprit Bumrah was vice-captain, has captained in the past, but obviously, with them saying that he may not play all five Test matches and his injury record, they are looking long-term — someone who can play for a very long time — and they feel Shubman Gill is that man. He is a high-class player, but his record away from home is not as good as at home. He has captained well recently in the IPL. I think he is a good choice.”
“But, as I said at the start, there are names missing there, and I think for that reason it’s a very good opportunity for England. But make no mistake, that is a strong squad, and whoever you bring in — Karun Nair, for example — hasn’t played Test match cricket for 8 years. Last time England saw him, he got a triple hundred against them, and he has been prolific in first-class cricket,” Hussain remarked.
Morgan, who captained Gill in the Indian Premier League, endorsed Hussain’s viewpoint. “Some obvious names are missing – Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin. But it’s still a very strong squad. I think the captaincy decision is the right one. I played alongside Shubman Gill at Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL a few years ago. He’s a natural leader. He takes on responsibility within a group and doesn’t mind questioning methodology within the camp. But ultimately, he keeps the collective goal in focus.”
“I would, without a doubt and without a ball being bowled, make England the favourites. I haven’t looked at any of the betting markets, but based on home form and the journey this England Test team is on, I’d say things are currently in their favour. It’s a good position to be in. I’ve played in some really poor teams where we were never the favourites. So yes, you’d rather be the favourites. But it’s definitely going to be a tough tour for India,” Morgan stated.
Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been appointed as Shubman Gill’s deputy. The squad features three prominent inclusions — Karun Nair, Arshdeep Singh, and Sai Sudharsan — all rewarded for their stunning exploits in domestic cricket.
The five-Test series between India and England is slated to get underway on June 20 at Headingley, followed by matches at Lord's (June 28), Trent Bridge (July 6), The Oval (July 14), and Old Trafford (July 24).
India Squad for England Tests: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc & wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.