Was Rishabh Pant a Better Fit for Test Captaincy Than Shubman Gill?

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the two legends of the red ball format, announced their retirement from the format, marking new changes for the Indian team. With this, Shubman Gill has been announced as the team’s new captain while Spidey, while Rishabh Pant have been announced as the team’s vice captain in the Test format. Both heroes of the famous Gabba win are now ready to lead the Indian team in the Test format.

With two stars of the Indian team retiring from the Test formats, there are two voids which have been created in the team’s batting line-up. First is surely the opening spot, which was held by Rohit Sharma for a long time, and second is the number 4 spot, which was held by one of the greatest players in the current era, Virat Kohli. It is certain that the Indian fans will miss their availability in the England series.

In the Press conference of the Indian team ahead of the Test series against England, Shubman Gill was announced as the captain by the new coach Gautam Gambhir. It was also revealed that the captain will now be coming at the number 4 spot, to fill in the void created by Virat Kohli following his retirement.

With Shubman Gill taking the spot as the captain of the team, he also became the youngest player to lead India in the Test format. However, it is also being said that Rishabh Pant would have been a better fit as a captain for the Indian team. Following his comeback to international cricket after an accident, Pant has been dominant in the Test format for the last few years. Let’s compare both players to see which one of them has a statistical edge over the other.

Career Stats

Shubman Gill made his Test debut in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020-21, where he was a part of the team in the 2nd Test. Scoring 45 and 35 runs in both innings, he made his impact on debut, further marking his spot as a top-order batter. Till now, Shubman Gill has played 32 Test matches for the Indian cricket team and scored 1893 runs at an average of 35.05, with 5 centuries and 7 half-centuries.

Although he has played just a few games for the Indian cricket team, the numbers surely can’t deny the impact he had with the bat. Despite having 5 centuries in Test, his best innings still remain to be the 91 runs knock which he played in the Gabba, dominating the Aussie bowlers at a young age. His last Test century came against Bangladesh, where Gill scored 119 runs and remained not out.

Player	Matches	Innings	Runs	Average	Strike Rate	100s	50s
Shubman Gill	32	59	1893	35.05	59.92	5	7
Rishabh Pant	43	75	2948	42.11	73.62	6	15

Rishabh Pant, on the other hand, made his Test debut for the Indian team in 2018 against England. Although his debut match didn’t go well with the bat, Pant made his impact felt with the gloves, taking various important catches behind the stumps. In the Test format, he has played 43 matches and scored 2948 runs at an average of 42.11, with 6 centuries and 15 half-centuries.

Surely his numbers are better than the Indian team captain, Shubman Gill. Along with that, his strike rate also stands at 73.62, showcasing his talent and ability to score runs even in the middle order. In the famous Gabba win over Australia in 2021, Rishabh Pant played an incredible 89 not out, which helped the team to clinch the historic win, and Pant was given the POTM award.

Overseas Stats

Shubman Gill’s stats in the overseas matches are surely concerning for the fans. In 13 away Test matches, Gill has scored just 649 runs at an average of 29.50 and a strike rate of 61.34. These stats are for sure the main reason why Indian fans are concerned with the decision of him being announced as the team’s captain, ahead of the England tour, which is set to start in a few days’ time.

In the away matches, Gill has scored just one century and two half-centuries till now. This century came in Bangladesh, where Shubman Gill scored 110 runs in an innings in the first Test match being played at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. Moreover, his form overseas has not been great over the past few years.

Player	Matches	Innings	Runs	Average	Strike Rate	100s	50s
Shubman Gill	13	24	649	29.50	61.34	1	2
Rishabh Pant	29	52	1842	37.59	67.89	4	6

On the other hand, Rishabh Pant undoubtedly holds more experience overseas as compared to the Indian captain, with Pant playing more than half of his career matches away from India. Having played 29 away games, he has scored 1842 runs at an average of 37.59, and a strike rate of 67.89, with 4 centuries and 6 half-centuries.

It is clear that despite coming down the order, Rishabh Pant has shown more impact for the team in the overseas Tests. His first Test century also came against England in 2018, when he scored 114 runs in the Oval Test. With Pant entering England once again, he will be eager to put on a banger for the Indian cricket team.

England Stats

Stats in average are what could be more troublesome for the new Indian skipper, Shubman Gill. He has played just 3 matches in England and scored 88 runs at a meagre average of 14.66 and a strike rate of 55.69. Besides that, his highest score in England has been just 28, but the Indian skipper will surely be looking forward to starting off fresh in the upcoming series against England, which could help him to enhance his stats.

Player	Matches	Innings	Runs	Average	Strike Rate	100s	50s
Shubman Gill	3	6	88	14.66	55.69	0	0
Rishabh Pant	9	17	556	32.70	66.34	2	2

On the other hand, Rishabh Pant has some experience in England, which could also be the reason why he has been named as the vice-captain of the team. Pant has played 9 Tests in England and scored 556 runs at an average of 32.70 and a strike rate of 66.34, with two centuries and two half-centuries. Thus, Rishabh Pant once again holds an upper hand over Shubman Gill when it comes to statistics and numbers. In 2022, he scored 146 runs against England at Edgbaston.

WTC Stats

When it comes to the World Test Championship, Shubman Gill made his Test debut after the tournament was introduced. Thus, his career stats are similar to his all-time stats in the World Test Championship, with 1893 runs in 32 matches at an average of 35.05 and a strike rate of 59.92. Besides that, Shubman Gill has also scored 5 centuries and 7 half-centuries in both World Test Championships.

Player	Matches	Innings	Runs	Average	Strike Rate	100s	50s
Shubman Gill	32	59	1893	35.05	59.92	5	7
Rishabh Pant	34	60	2252	40.21	73.57	4	13

On the other hand, Rishabh Pant again holds the upper hand over Shubman Gill in the World Test Championship stats. He has played 34 matches and scored 2252 runs at an average of 40.21 and a strike rate of 73.57, with 4 centuries and 13 half-centuries. Pant’s strong striking ability has helped the Indian team a lot, and this is also why he holds the upper hand against Shubman Gill when it comes to the numbers.

New Era of the Indian Test Team

Shubman Gill is now the new captain of the Indian cricket team, and with Pant being selected as the team’s vice captain, it is expected that both will work together to start off the new World Test Championship campaign with a massive series win. The era of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant also marks a new beginning in Indian Test cricket, as the experienced players such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin have already retired from the format. With Rishabh Pant being ahead of Gill in stats, the current Indian captain will be eager to lead the team from the front in the England tour, which starts from 20 June.