The era of Shubman Gill has commenced in Indian cricket. At 26 years old, he now leads India as captain in both Tests and ODIs. Gill was appointed to this role before a challenging five-Test tour of England earlier in 2025, following the unexpected retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has since shared his thoughts on the decision to make Gill captain. Gambhir also disclosed his first message to Gill, who became the youngest Indian Test skipper in the 21st century.
Gambhir mentioned that he told Gill the management had essentially put him in a high-pressure situation where he would either fail or excel. Notably, Gill was the top run-scorer in his first Test series as captain, amassing 754 runs across five Tests, including four centuries, with a top score of 269 runs.
What was Gautam Gambhir’s first message to Shubman Gill after captaincy change?
“I will remember the conversation with Gill. Picking a 25-year-old kid as the captain, I told him we have thrown you into the deep sea. I said you will either drown or become the best swimmer,” Gautam Gambhir told Star Sports.
Gautam Gambhir on Shubman Gill’s captaincy
Gambhir praised Gill’s leadership and his ability to handle the pressure during the England series. He believes Gill has successfully passed his most challenging test in the England Test series, which concluded in a 2-2 draw.
“How a 25-year-old kid handled the team, captaincy and pressure against an England side was the most difficult test over a span of two months. The way how intimidating England’s batting was and our inexperience, he has passed his most difficult test. The transition is over and things will become much easier for him. The criticism that some people have said on him is unfair. You pick players on potential. If you expect an individual to have 50+ everywhere, it takes time to achieve that” Gambhir added.
Following the team’s impressive performance in the Tests, Gill has been appointed as the ODI captain for the white-ball series against Australia. India is scheduled to play a three-match ODI series, followed by a five-match T20I series against Australia. In the ODIs, Gill will lead Team India, which will include Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He will serve as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy in the T20Is.