"Not very healthy as a batter alone, let alone as the captain" - Former Indian batter's brutal attack on Shubman Gill ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 series

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra was baffled by the management's decision to appoint Shubman Gill as India's Test captain ahead of the England tour. India will take on England in five Tests, starting at Leeds on June 20.

With Rohit Sharma retiring from Tests, all eyes were on who India's next red-ball skipper would be. Recent reports suggested Gill as the front-runner, yet his eventual appointment led to divided reactions from fans and experts.

Talking about Gill as India's new Test captain on ESPN Cricinfo, Chopra said (via Hindustan Times):

"His average is 35. His overseas numbers are around 25, and that's not very healthy as a batter alone, let alone as the captain. Lots (of challenges) actually in Test cricket. If it were ODIs, we would have said absolutely fine. He is the heir apparent. He is appointed as the vice captain for a significant period of time."

He added:

"So, we saw it coming but when you talk about Test cricket, you'd say he's still trying to figure out a place for himself, especially outside of the subcontinent. So, I see this as an investment of faith. You see somebody, you see promise and potential. You go with that guy with a lot of hope and some amount of belief that we are making the right choice."

Gill previously captained India only once in the T20I tour of Zimbabwe last year. However, he has impressed in the ongoing IPL as the Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper, with the side currently at the top of the points table with nine wins in 13 outings.

"After just playing about 15 Tests, it cannot be your call" - Aakash Chopra

Aakash Chopra further questioned Shubman Gill's wish to bat at No.3 in Tests in 2023 after opening the innings until then being granted. The 25-year-old has been inconsistent in the red-ball format with the bat, averaging only 35.05 in 32 matches. Gill's away Test record is even worse, with an average of under 30 in 15 games.

"I think he had played only 15 Test matches and he was given the choice as to where he wanted to bat. He was an opener then Yashasvi Jaiswal came into the picture and Gill actually said I prefer number three. That choice was given to him, and I found it very odd at that time that after just playing about 15 Tests, it cannot be your call, it has to be the management's call," said Chopra.

Gill had a poor series in Australia the last time India played Tests, averaging a dismal 18.60 in three matches. India lost the five-Test series 1-3 to miss qualification for the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final.