Shubman Gill scored his 5th ton in 7 Tests as captain.
Shubman Gill slammed his 10th Test hundred, leading India's charge on Day 2 of the second Test against the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
The 26-year-old continued his prolific run with the bat as Test captain, notching up his fifth hundred in only 12 innings, making him the second-fastest Indian and the third overall to reach the milestone. Only Alastair Cook (nine innings) and Sunil Gavaskar (10 innings) had reached five centuries faster than Gill's 12.
After missing out on a big score in the series opener at Ahmedabad, Gill made the most of the batter-friendly conditions in Delhi. It was a classy exhibition from the captain, who overcame the disappointment of Yashasvi Jaiswal's run-out on 175 earlier in the day to pile on the runs.
India eventually declared their first innings at 518/5, with Gill remaining unbeaten on 129 runs for his highest Test score at home. His 196-ball knock was studded with 16 fours and 2 sixes.
Speaking on JioHotstar, legendary spinner Anil Kumble heaped praise on Shubman Gill, saying that latter has shown great maturity and composure after being given the India captaincy.
“Captaining India is never easy. It’s not just about on-field decisions but also handling several responsibilities off it, and Shubman has done exceptionally well. On the field, he’s been outstanding, and as a batter, he’s shown great composure since taking over the captaincy. Today, was no different,” said Kumble.
He also stated that Gill scoring well early in his captaincy career augurs well for India’s future.
“He read the situation perfectly, attacked the spinners when needed, and maintained the scoring rate. For a young captain, scoring runs is vital. It earns respect in the dressing room, strengthens leadership, and builds authority. Usually, experienced players inherit captaincy after years of establishing themselves, but for Shubman, to step up early and perform this well reflects great maturity and bodes well for India’s future,” Kumble added.
Shubman Gill made his debut as Test captain on the tour of England, where he amassed 754 runs with the help of four centuries in a five-match series, leading India to a 2-2 draw.
With the 2027 World Cup in sight, the BCCI selectors have also handed the ODI captaincy to Gill ahead of the upcoming Australia tour, starting on October 19 in Perth.