“The journey is just getting started” - Former India pacer hails Shubman Gill after batter is named new Test captain ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 series

Former India and Punjab pacer Siddarth Kaul shared a heartfelt message for Shubman Gill after the latter was announced as the new Test captain of the country. India men's chief selector Ajit Agarkar made the announcement on Saturday, May 24, while unveiling the squad for the upcoming five-Test series in England, set to begin on June 20 in Leeds.

Gill takes over from Rohit Sharma, who announced his retirement from red-ball cricket earlier this month after featuring in 67 Tests for India, including 24 as captain.

Reacting to the news, Kaul congratulated his fellow statesman Shubman Gill on the milestone. In a post on X, the 35-year-old wrote:

“Bhai, I’ve seen you from your U-19 days to becoming the Test captain - your journey is truly inspiring. Built on hard work, honesty , and passion for the game, this achievement also reflects your father’s vision, discipline, and sacrifices. A boy with a dream, guided by a father with a mission - today, you lead India with pride. Congratulations, Captain. The journey is just getting started.”

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The 25-year-old has played 32 Test matches for India, scoring 1,893 runs at an average of 35.05, including five centuries and seven half-centuries.

Karun Nair and Shardul Thakur return as Shubman Gill prepares for his maiden series as India Test captain

The BCCI has announced an 18-member squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against England, set to begin on June 20 in Leeds, marking the start of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle for both teams.

With veterans Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin having retired from red-ball cricket, Shubman Gill has been named captain, while Rishabh Pant has been appointed as his deputy. The squad also features the return of Karun Nair after an eight-year absence, alongside the recall of seasoned campaigner Shardul Thakur.

Complete squad for the England Tests: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav.

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Dev is a cricket writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of experience. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and has previously worked at Times Now as a sports writer. He played cricket in the Delhi Little Cricket League in 2016, and was among the Top 50 batters in the U-16 category.

His degree has empowered him with a good understanding of ethics in journalism and effective interviewing techniques, which he employs in his articles. He researches and verifies facts from multiple sources and remains impartial in his viewpoints. He has had the privilege of interviewing renowned sports journalist Vijay Lokapally.

Dev loves cricket because of its ability to keep spectators on the edge of their seats and its ability to foster a sense of community and shared passion. He is a staunch supporter of the Indian cricket team and his favorite cricketer is Yuvraj Singh, especially after he hit those iconic six sixes in an over in 2007. He also admires Rohit Sharma’s leadership as he led Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles and Team India to the T20 World Cup.

When he’s not working, Dev enjoys watching football or catching up on his sleep.

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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee