Move over Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma! Shubman Gill puts captaincy worries to rest
The inaugural Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, a five-Test epic between two fierce cricketing teams, came to a thrilling conclusion at The Oval, with India edging England by six runs to level the series 2-2.
The far from conventional series saw a marked generational shift in Indian cricket with the emergence of a young leader in
Shubman Gill
, India's 37th Test captain.
At just 25, Gill walked into his first full-time Test series as skipper with the added weight of history. India had not won a Test series in England since Rahul Dravid's 2007 triumph, and even seasoned captains like
MS Dhoni
and
Virat Kohli
had failed to conquer the English challenge. But Gill - leading a transitional squad without retired veterans Virat Kohli,
Rohit Sharma
, and Ravichandran Ashwin - not only held his own but also finished as the series' highest run-getter, scoring a staggering 754 runs across five matches.
Shubman Gill against England in Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy
Matches: 5
Innings: 10
Runs: 754
Average: 75.40
Strike Rate: 65.57
100s: 4
Highest Score: 269
There were many shining stars in India's dramatic series: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top; Shubman Gill himself; Rishabh Pant batted despite a fracture and to cap it all off, Mohammed Siraj's tireless efforts.
A captain's touch
IND vs ENG: Shubman Gill on Oval thriller, Siraj's spell, and missing Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah
It was not easy and there were brickbats about team selections, but Gill's leadership impressed many, especially for its calmness under pressure. The young skipper marshalled his resources well, trusted Washington Sundar and Prasidh Krishna in key moments, and shouldered immense batting responsibility.
His double-century at Edgbaston — a majestic 269 off 387 balls — was one of the finest Test knocks by an Indian abroad.
How Gill compares to past captains
Gill may have only just begun his journey as India's Test captain, but his dream debut series against England already stacks up impressively against some of the biggest names to have led the country in whites this century.
Gill's records in the series put him comfortably ahead of Kohli - who scored 449 runs in two Tests in his first series as captain against Australia - and MS Dhoni - who began with 32 runs and a win against South Africa in 2008.
First Series as India Test Captain (Since 2000):
Captain
Series (Opponent)
Result
Runs / Wickets
Shubman Gill
2025 (vs England)
2W-2L-1D
754 runs
Rohit Sharma
2022 (vs Sri Lanka)
2W
90 runs
KL Rahul
2022 (vs South Africa)
1L
55 runs
Jasprit Bumrah
2022 (vs England)
1L
38 runs & 5 wickets
Virat Kohli
2014/15 (vs Australia)
1L-1D
449 runs
Ajinkya Rahane
2017 (vs Australia)
1W
58 runs
MS Dhoni
2008 (vs South Africa)
1W
32 runs
Anil Kumble
2007 (vs Pakistan)
1W-2D
28 runs & 18 wickets
Virender Sehwag
2005 (vs Sri Lanka)
1W
20 runs
Rahul Dravid
2003 (vs New Zealand)
1D
18 runs
Sourav Ganguly
2000 (vs Bangladesh)
1W
84 runs
So one could argue, with Gill, India have gotten best of both worlds - a batter and a skipper.
Second only to Gavaskar's legendary debut series
Shubman Gill's remarkable tally of 754 runs ranks as the second-highest aggregate by an Indian in a Test series. Only
Sunil Gavaskar
's 774 runs against West Indies in 1970/71 stands above. Gill's performance not only solidifies his place as India's batting spearhead but also marks one of the finest debut series by a Test captain.
Most runs in a series for India
Player
Opponent
Matches
Runs
Highest Score
Average
Sunil Gavaskar
West Indies (1970/71)
4
774
220
154.80
Shubman Gill
England (2025)
5
754
269
75.40
Sunil Gavaskar
West Indies (1978/79)
6
732
205
91.50
Yashasvi Jaiswal
England (2023/24)
5
712
214*
89.00
Virat Kohli
Australia (2014/15)
4
692
169
86.50
The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy lived up to its billing. India may not have won the series outright, but in many ways, this felt like a victory — a passing of the baton to the next generation. Shubman Gill's performance as captain — statistically the best first series by an Indian skipper ever — sets the tone for an exciting new era.
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