ENG vs. IND 2025: Ajit Agarkar supports Shubman Gill as a potential long-term leader

Ajit Agarkar, the top selector for the BCCI, shared his thoughts on Shubman Gill being named the Test team’s permanent captain. After Rohit Sharma recently put up his boots in the game’s longest format, Gill was named as his replacement.

Ajit Agarkar claims that since 2024, the BCCI has been considering Shubman for a leadership position.

We have considered Shubman (for leadership) throughout the past year or so. We are optimistic that he will be the one to lead the team. He is an excellent player, but the job is quite demanding. “We wish him all the best,” Ajit Agarkar said during the news conference on Saturday, May 24, at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.

The former Indian cricket player acknowledged that the position would be difficult, but based on his views from prior experiences, he had high hopes for Gill’s performance.

Instead of selecting a player for one or two tours, you want to select a captain who can support the team moving forward. He continued, “We have seen what he can do and that is the reason we picked him. It is going to be as tough as it gets, maybe he will learn on the job.”

Being close to Rohit had given Gill important exposure before he was named India’s full-time Test captain. In the Indian Premier League, Gill has also been in charge of the Gujarat Titans for the last two seasons.

The Gill-led team will play the first game of the five-match series in Leeds on June 20. Although filling Rohit’s boots would undoubtedly be a significant undertaking, the 25-year-old will see it as a chance to excel.