King to Prince: Shubman Gill echoes Virat Kohli with century on Test captaincy debut

India Today

4 hours ago

In 2014, a young Virat Kohli began his Test captaincy career with a century in Adelaide. Four years later, he repeated the feat in England — a hard-fought hundred at Edgbaston in his first Test as captain on English soil. Now, Shubman Gill has followed in his footsteps.On June 20 at Headingley, Gill marked his first Test as India's red-ball captain with a composed 140-ball century, leading the way just as Kohli had done before him. Taking over the No.4 position vacated by Kohli himself, Gill made a powerful statement — not only as a batter but as the new face of India's Test leadership.advertisementENG vs IND, 1st Test Day 1: Updates
Before the match, Gill was clear about his personal goals amid the added responsibility. 'I want to be the best batter in this series,' he said — a mindset he brought with him to the middle, unfazed by the pressure of captaincy or conditions.India started brightly on Day 1, with both openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul off to a fluent start with their 91-run stand. But England struck back before lunch. KL Rahul, who looked in rhythm, fell to Brydon Carse, and debutant Sai Sudharsan was dismissed for a duck by Ben Stokes. Standing on 92 for 2 at lunch, India were briefly under pressure.That's when Gill walked in — facing not just an England attack in home conditions, but also the burden of expectation. His overseas record had drawn criticism, averaging 25.70 in SENA countries with only two fifties, both in Australia. In England, he had managed just 88 runs across three Tests at an average of 14.66. But at Headingley, Gill looked determined to shift that narrative.advertisementBatting at No.4, Gill began cautiously while allowing Jaiswal to keep the runs flowing. But once settled, he began showing his range — reaching his fifty in just 56 balls, with effortless timing and crisp shot selection. After Jaiswal was dismissed for 101, Gill took charge, controlling the innings with help from vice-captain Rishabh Pant at the other end.In doing so, Gill became just the fifth Indian captain to score a Test century in England, joining a select club that includes Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Mohammed Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly, and Virat Kohli. That this came in his very first match as captain — and at the historic Headingley — only added weight to the achievement.Gill's innings wasn't flashy, but it was controlled and authoritative. It was built on awareness — of the situation, of his own game, and of the responsibility on his shoulders. There was no captain's armband, but there was leadership written all over the knock.It was a start that mirrored Kohli's in many ways — but with Gill's own quiet imprint. For a side seeking direction in the post-Kohli-Rohit era, Day 1 of the Headingley Test might just have offered a glimpse of what the future looks like.