Gill recently led India to 2-2 draw in the Test tour of England.
Shubman Gill has become the toast of the nation following his impressive show as a batter and captain in the recent Test series against England. His brilliance has thrown a question — how long will Suryakumar Yadav remain India’s T20I captain?
After the blockbuster England tour, there was a growing consensus over wanting Gill's return to the shortest format. As it turned out, the selectors didn’t only name him in India’s T20 squad for the Asia Cup 2025 but also appointed him as Suryakumar’s deputy.
Speculations are rife that Gill would take over the ODI captaincy from Rohit Sharma sooner than later. In fact, the Punjab lad was the designated vice-captain during India’s 50-over Champions Trophy triumph earlier this year.
Recently, former all-rounder Pathan shared his thoughts on the BCCI’s plan to groom Shubman Gill as the all-format captain. He endorsed the move, saying that it would give head coach Gautam Gambhir greater stability to manage the team, much like what Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid enjoyed during their coaching stints.
"If you look around, there must be a certain type of continuity in leadership. Nowhere would you see that three captains are there in three different formats. Take an example, say you’re playing against South Africa in all three formats. Now imagine the people sitting at the back, say Rahul Dravid or Ravi Shastri and, now, Gautam Gambhir. How easy or difficult will it be to work with three different captains? So, I understand what Indian cricket is trying to do now. They are trying to have some stability in terms of leadership because it’s a transition. And stability in terms of batting as well, so it is very important for Shubman to be there in the leadership. I totally agree with that," Pathan told RevSportz.
However, Pathan stressed that the board should clearly share plans with players while supporting Gill’s growth as a leader.
"I think the message should go out loud and clear to every player – more than the media or the fans – that who the engine of this train is, so that the train reaches a single destination, no matter the speed. Shubman Gill’s captaincy will get better with time, he’ll learn the art of leadership more, but what he already has done is great. He also has his batting ability in place," he added.
Shubman Gill has been in fine form lately. He led Gujarat Titans (GT) to the IPL 2025 playoffs, scoring 650 runs at an average of 50 and a strike rate of 155.88. Subsequently, the stylish right-hander 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.
Pathan lauded Gill’s rise, highlighting his consistent ODI form and current role as vice-captain. He also claimed that selectors assured Gill of a return to T20Is once free from Test duties.
“He’s been performing outstandingly in one-day cricket and is the vice-captain there. Now with T20 cricket, which he was playing regularly before the last one year. The selection committee had a discussion with him, that as soon as you get free from Test cricket, we will get you back. There are a lot of questions in the media, I understand, but Indian cricket goes according to a plan and that’s how it has always been. Selection board, management has the responsibility and I think that going in one direction is important. And this is what it seems like Indian cricket is doing with Shubman Gill right now,” Pathan remarked.