SHOULD SHUBMAN GILL BE MADE ALL-FORMAT CAPTAIN OF INDIA?

Gill is already seen as the future of Indian cricket. He has shown maturity in every format. His technical strength and ability to anchor or accelerate as per the game's need make him the most flexible batter...

- BY MIHIR SHARMA

The 2025 Anderson Tendulkar Trophy will be remembered for India's comeback, grit, and the quiet emergence of a new leader. That leader was Shubman Gill. For the first time in his career, the 25-year-old walked out as India's number three batter and as captain of the Test team. With Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin retired, and Jasprit Bumrah available for only three matches, India had a young group with very little experience in English conditions. It was far from an ideal debut assignment for Gill, the captain.

Pause Captaincy brings the best out of Shubman Gill. He has proved it by winning the man of the series in the Anderson-Tendulkar series. Yet, India drew the series 2-2 after being 1-2 down. That included a six-run win in the final Test at The Oval, a result that came after India lost their frontline bowlers and had to rely on fresh names. Gill showed calmness, trusted the younger players, and backed a plan that worked under extreme pressure. It was a coming-of-age tour for him as a leader.

Right now, India's white ball leadership is divided. Rohit Sharma, at 38, leads the ODI side and recently captained India to back-to-back global trophies: the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy. Suryakumar Yadav, 35, is the T20 captain. He has built a fearless unit that dominated the format in the last two years.

Gill is just 25. He represents the next generation of Indian cricket. But at the same time, his future role is unclear. With two white ball World Cups coming up, the T20 World Cup in 2026 and the 50-over World Cup in 2027, India are walking a fine line. If Rohit and Kohli continue till the next ODI World Cup, it leaves no clear space for younger batters or leaders to step in. Names like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Shreyas Iyer already feel the squeeze. This brings us to the big question: Should India hand over the all-format captaincy to Shubman Gill now?