Image: Shubman Gill may lead India's Test team amid concerns over his SENA average / © NDTV Sports
With the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Test cricket, India is heading into a new chapter in the longest format. Reports suggest that Shubman Gill is the frontrunner to take over the captaincy ahead of the crucial Test series against England. He is expected to meet Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir soon to discuss the way forward.
However, if appointed, Gill could join an unwanted list alongside MS Dhoni and KL Rahul. In the past 30 years, only Dhoni and Rahul have led India in the SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries while averaging under 30 with the bat. Dhoni averaged 28.37 and Rahul 29.60 in these challenging conditions. Currently, Gill averages just 25.70 in SENA, putting him on course to be the third Indian Test captain in that list if he leads the side in England.
The decision to consider Gill is driven by long-term planning, with the team management viewing him as a potential leader for the next five to seven years. His leadership in the IPL has also impressed the selectors and added to his credentials. India’s Test future now seems likely to revolve around a young captain ready to take the reins during a tough overseas assignment, despite questions over his batting performance in those conditions.