3 reasons why India must not consider Shubman Gill for a leadership role in ENG vs IND Tests 2025

Star batter Shubman Gill, who is leading Gujarat Titans in the ongoing Indian Premier League, is reportedly being considered by the senior national selectors for a leadership role in India's upcoming tour of England in June.

The Punjab stalwart, who is known for his balance of aggression and caution at the top of the order, or number three, in Test cricket, is 25 years old and may seem to be in the prime age for a leadership role.

However, leading a side in a franchise-based T20 tournament and being in the thick of things for one's country in the most prestigious format of the sport are two completely different things.

This might be one of the reasons why the selectors will do well to let the spotlight move away from Gill for the time being and allow him to enjoy his batting. Rohit Sharma is India's current Test captain, with Jasprit Bumrah as his deputy.

With his impressive showing in the IPL, the selectors may be tempted to give him an opportunity, but Gill himself will be no certainty in the playing XI if his poor run of form continues; in the BGT, he accumulated just 93 runs in five innings at 18.60.

In this listicle, we take a look at three reasons why India must not consider Gill in a leadership role:

#3 It will be unfair to Jasprit Bumrah

If India consider Gill for a leadership role in this series, it might adversely affect the confidence of Jasprit Bumrah. The speedster led India to victory in the first Test of the ill-fated Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under last winter, and would be the ideal choice for the vice-captain's role. Plus, he has the experience and maturity.

If Bumrah is overlooked for Gill, it will be grossly unfair to the former. Bumrah is known to be the thinking man's captain, and will prove to be the ideal foil to Rohit Sharma, who is India's captain. Bumrah also adds a tinge of X-factor to the team talks as he brings up topics from the bowling unit's point of view.

#2 Gill's overall captaincy record is not enthralling

If truth be told, Gill's overall record as a captain is not enthralling in the least. While he has led Punjab in the past in domestic cricket, the state has not won any major honors in his leadership. As for the IPL, while GT are doing well this season and appear to be the favorites, they had an extremely poor run of form last year, finishing eighth.

As mentioned earlier, leading a franchise side in T20 cricket and doing the same in Tests are two completely different things. The rhythm, ebbs and flows of a Test match are almost diametrically opposite to that of a T20 game, and Gill may not yet be ready to make such a transition, that too in such a prestigious series. India too are going through a lot of changes as a side, and elevating Gill may not be the right move.

#1 It might affect his batting

While Gill has enjoyed leading Gujarat Titans in the IPL, taking up a similar role or even the lieutenant's position in Test cricket is a whole different ball game. History is proof that several top cricketers lost form when they were given leadership roles, and Gill may not be ready for such an opportunity just yet.

In Test cricket, Gill needs to focus solely on his batting as India need him to do well at the top of the order. His poor run of form in the BGT has already raised a lot of questions about his future in red-ball cricket, and the best thing for him, individually, would be to focus on improving his composure while batting.

The added pressure of captaincy or vice-captaincy may take a toll on him mentally and force him to get distracted by matters outside of his immediate purview, such as selection, team combinations and field placements. For now, all that Gill needs to focus on is his judgment of length and shot selection.