BCCI has announced the new Test captain of Team India. On May 24, Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar held a press conference on behalf of the board and said that young star Shubman Gill will now take charge of the Test team. He has been chosen as the 37th Test captain of Team India. That is, after Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket, Gill has now replaced him. In June, the Indian team will tour England for a 5-match Test series. During this time, Gill will become the new captain of India. At the same time, Rishabh Pant has been made the team’s vice-captain.
Why Was Gill Made The Captain?
Ajit Agarkar and Shiv Sunder Das from the BCCI selection committee announced the squad for the England tour. During this, he announced Gill as the new captain along with the team. On appointing Gill as the captain, Agarkar said, “We discussed many names and also took feedback from the team members. This is a very stressful job. Hopefully, Gill will take it forward. You want a captain who can help the team move forward, not to keep someone for one or two tours. As difficult as it may be, it will be difficult, maybe he will learn while working, but we have seen what he can do, which is why we have chosen him.”
Fourth Youngest Indian Captain
At 25 years and 258 days, Gill is the fourth youngest player to become the captain of India’s Test team. Before him, Sachin Tendulkar became the captain at the age of 23 years and 169 days. Kapil Dev captained India in Tests at the age of 24 years and 48 days, and Ravi Shastri at the age of 25 years and 229 days.
Gill Has Captained India
Although Gill does not have captaincy experience in this format, he led India in a five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe in 2024. Gill has also been a vice-captain in ODIs and T20 Internationals. He was the vice-captain in the Champions Trophy in February 2025. At the same time, he has also captained the Gujarat Titans in the IPL. Under his captaincy, the Gujarat team reached the playoffs.
Gill’s Performance In Tests
Gill has played 32 matches in Test cricket and scored 1893 runs at an average of 35. During this, he has scored 5 centuries and 7 half-centuries. Gill has scored 559 runs in 13 matches in SENA countries and the West Indies, with an average of only 25, with only two half-centuries in 24 innings. In the Brisbane Test in 2021, he played a match-winning innings of 91 runs against Australia. Since then, Gill has not been able to score a half-century in SENA countries.
