India have appointed Shubman Gill as their new Test captain for their upcoming tour of England in June. Here's what his first-class captaincy record looks like so far.
India’s Test team is currently undergoing a transition. With former skipper Rohit Sharma one of several big guns retiring, a significant question was who would succeed him as India’s next Test skipper.
While Jasprit Bumrah, having led India in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar trophy, was a serious contender, Gill was named the captain for the 2025 England tour, starting June 20. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained the decision was made keeping an eye on the workload of Bumrah, who, according to Agarkar, isn't guaranteed to play all five Tests in the series. Moreover, Agarkar stated that Gill is being viewed as a long-term investment.
Has Gill captained India before?
Gill served as Prithvi Shaw’s deputy during India’s triumphant 2018 U-19 World Cup campaign. Both were touted as future batting superstars, but Shaw has struggled to live up to those expectations. Gill, however, has shown signs of fulfilling his potential. Though ODIs remain his strongest format, Gill now faces heightened expectations in Tests – especially with Rohit and Virat Kohli's departures – despite not yet excelling in the longest format.
Still only 25, Gill has already captained India in five T20Is - a format where he isn't a regular. The opportunity came during India’s five-match series against Zimbabwe in July last year, which they won 4-1. As for leadership in high-profile international tournaments, Gill served as India's vice-captain during their recent Champions Trophy title run.
He is yet to captain India in an ODI or a Test.
What's Gill's first-class captaincy record?
The first instance of Gill leading a side in a first-class match came in August 2019 when he led India Blue in two matches in the Duleep Trophy. Both were drawn fixtures. Then, a month later, he captained India A in an unofficial Test against South Africa A. On a spin-friendly wicket, he top-scored with a 153-ball 90, helping the hosts win by seven wickets. That is Gill's only win as a captain in five first-class matches to date. In all three of these fixtures, interestingly, he was the youngest member of the playing XI.
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Gill was named Gujarat Titans' permanent captain in the IPL, following Hardik Pandya’s departure last year. After a rocky start in 2024, he led GT to the playoffs this season, with the team topping the points table at the time of writing. His 636 runs (second-highest in the league this year) further prove his ability to thrive with leadership at the highest level.
| Format | Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn | Tied | N/R |
| First-class | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
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