Before the 45-day England five-match Test series, former India head coach Ravi Shastri advised Indian Test captain Shubman Gill.
Shubman Gill leads India in red-ball cricket for the first time, with Rishabh Pant as his deputy.
When taking on one of the most difficult responsibilities in international cricket, Shastri advised patience and composure. He told Shubman Gill to take his time and reminded him that guiding an English squad is difficult.
“I think, be patient. It’ll be difficult. Shastri told The ICC Review that captaining India on a tour of England is a tough task.
After 32 matches since his December 2020 debut, Gill has scored 1,893 runs at 35.05 in his early Test career. Leading a team in English conditions, one of the toughest difficulties even for seasoned cricketers, will test the youthful captain.
Shubman Gill leadership will be tested without Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Virat Kohli. India hasn’t won a Test series in England since 2007.
Shastri thinks this tour might define the 25-year-old’s career. He commended Gill’s maturity as Gujarat Titans (GT) captain in IPL 2025, where he led beautifully before leaving in the Eliminator.
Although difficult, I believe he will learn from this experience. He appeared calm and composed in the IPL with the Gujarat Titans. His demeanour is good. Shubman Gill is maturing, he has young players, and I think it’s a learning curve for him, Shastri said.
England and India will play the first Test at Headingley on June 20. The Test will also be the inaugural ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 series for both sides.
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