Legendary Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes Shubman Gill was appointed Team India’s Test captain prematurely. He believes that the batter should have been groomed under a different leader for another transition.
Shubman Gill took over the Test captaincy reins from Rohit Sharma, who announced his retirement from red-ball cricket in May 2025. The Indian think tank appointed the 25-year-old as the new skipper, with wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant as his deputy.
Ravichandran Ashwin opines on Shubman Gill’s grooming as captainÂ
Speaking on his YouTube Channel, Ashwin said, “When the news of Shubman Gill being appointed as the captain came, I had said that some other guys should also have been considered. I still stand by it because Shubman could have been groomed under someone for a year or two.”Â
However, Ashwin was highly impressed by what Gill had done in his early days as captain. He pointed out that despite not having significant experience in leading a team, the right-handed batter has shown that he thrives on responsibility.
He added, “The way Shubman Gill has taken to captaincy is like a duck to water. It’s been something else. He didn’t even captain in U19; Prithvi Shaw was the captain. He is not used to captaincy. Gujarat Titans was his first big stint as a captain. After all that, he showed that as a captain, he can get into the series by scoring runs. He scored in the first two Tests, and then, after a setback, even when there was some pressure, he came and hit an amazing hundred.”
Shubman Gill has been India’s standout batting performer in the five-match series against England. He became the first-ever player in world cricket to hit four centuries in a debut series as captain. He is currently the leading run-scorer in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, amassing 722 runs across eight innings at an average of 90.25. Meanwhile, England has a 2-1 lead ahead of the remaining fixture.
Ravichandran Ashwin’s high praise for Shubman Gill’s captaincy in the series
Ravichandran Ashwin pointed out that Shubman Gill has not let the added pressure of captaincy affect his batting. Rather, the batting has improved with captaincy. Ashwin lauded the Indian skipper for his clutch 103-run innings that came in the second innings of the recently concluded drawn fourth Test match.
Suggesting that Gill’s performances has been a huge tick mark, Ashwin said, “After being on a leather hunt for 600 runs, to come out and make a hundred, it is a testament to his quality and fitness. It also shows that this particular leader can keep captaincy away from his batting, without allowing to disturb his head. So, all in all, it’s a huge tick mark for me. It’s a great start.”Â
It is a point to note and remember that Gill is just 53 runs shy of breaking Sunil Gavaskar’s record of scoring the most runs as an India batter in a single series. Ashwin backed the talented batter Gill to achieve this tremendous achievement. ‘
Ashwin added, “It should happen, and it will happen to break Gavaskar’s record. He will make 800 runs, and he deserves every single bit.”Â
India will rely on Shubman Gill’s stellar form in the 5th Test as he has to lead from the front to help India level the series at 2-2. The match is slated to be played at the Oval in London from July 31 to August 4th.
What Lies Ahead
The stage is set for the fifth and final Test between England and India to get underway at the Oval in London. England are up 2-1 in the series and will look to seal the series even with Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer not playing this Test match. India will look up to Shubman Gill to lead from the front and do well in the absence of his deputy, Rishabh Pant.
So, will England seal the series or will India roar back and draw level? Only time will tell as the Test match is upon us now.
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