Shubman Gill’s journey into Test captaincy began with a true trial by fire: a demanding five-match tour of England. Yet, he emerged triumphant, delivering stellar performances with the bat and masterminding a thrilling 2-2 series draw after a nail-biting finish at The Oval. While a home series against West Indies was anticipated to be less daunting, Gill once again proved his mettle, securing a clean sweep and further boosting his batting average, ticking every box expected of him.
“He has already navigated his toughest challenge as captain. That was in England, five away Tests in demanding conditions against a formidable opponent,” remarked head coach Gautam Gambhir to the media following India’s convincing seven-wicket victory on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. “I’ve simply advised him to stay true to himself. No one has granted him the Test or one-day captaincy as a favor; he has earned every bit of it. He truly checks all the boxes.”
Given Gill’s escalating workload across all formats, Gambhir was questioned whether the 26-year-old might require a mental conditioning coach to navigate the rigorous schedule. The former opener, celebrating his 44th birthday that same Tuesday, responded with a touch of humor: “Firstly, I need one myself! He’s in great form, scoring runs, and seems to be in a very good place.”
The press conference’s atmosphere shifted significantly when Gambhir vehemently criticized former chief selector Kris Srikkanth. Srikkanth had recently insinuated on his YouTube channel that Harshit Rana was merely a “yes-man” to the coach. “Honestly, it’s utterly shameful,” Gambhir stated in response to Srikkanth’s remarks. “If you’re targeting a 23-year-old to fuel your YouTube channel, that’s truly unfair. You can critique players’ performances, but making such statements about a young player is simply not right.”