ENG Vs IND: Ravi Shastri Gives Blunt Advice To India Test Skipper Shubman Gill Ahead Of England Series

Former India captain and head coach Ravi Shastri gave honest advice to newly-appointed Test skipper Shubman Gill ahead of the Test series against England, starting on June 20. As India prepares to usher in a new era of Test cricket without Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, all eyes will be on Gill, who was entrusted with the red-ball captaincy at the age of 25.

Shubman Gill is the 37th player and the youngest in the 21st century to lead Team India in the longest format of the game. The 25-year-old was the front-runner to take up Test captaincy duties despite being in contention with Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant. BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed at the press conference in May that Gill would be leading India in the Tests against England, with Pant as his deputy.

Shubman Gill not only inherited the Test captaincy but also the weight of the transition, as he steps into a leadership role when Team India is going through a generational shift in red-ball cricket, following the retirements of senior players - Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin.

A tough job for Shubman Gill

Ahead of the first Test of the series, Ravi Shastri gave strong and honest advice to Shubman Gill, who will assume his Test captaincy duties at Headingley. Speaking on the ICC review, the former India head coach stated that the task for Gill will be far from easy, but it could be a vital experience in his career.

“I think, take your time. It's not going to be easy. He's been asked to do a tough job, that is to captain India on a tour of England.” Shastri said.

“It's never easy, but I think he will learn from this exposure,” he added.

A new batting position for our new Test skipper! .@ShubmanGill is all set to bat at .@imVkohli's No. 4 spot! How many runs do you think he will score in the 1st Test? Get all the updates on Follow The Blues 👉#ENGvIND 👉 1st Test starts FRI, JUN 20,... twitter/CMMJl161ed

- Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) June 19, 2025

The last time a newly-appointed Test captain travelled for the England Tests was in 2022, scoring just 21 runs at an average of 10.50 in the Edgbaston Test. Gill does not have a great Test record in England, scoring 88 runs at an average of 14.66 in 88 matches. Additionally, Shubman Gill has a decent Test record away from home, amassing 649 runs, including a century, at an average of 29.50 in 13 matches.

Apart from captaining India in the Tests against England, Shubman Gill will also be expected to anchor the middle order, as he will bat at No.4, provide stability with his willow, and dual responsibility will test his temperament and maturity in challenging English conditions.

Shastri lauds Shubman Gill's maturity

Shubman Gill's composed captaincy was on display during the IPL 2025, though the Gujarat Titans fell short in the Eliminator against the Mumbai Indians. However, Ravi Shastri believes that with the right support, Gill's growth leader is certain.

“He's matured as an individual, he's got some young players around with him, and I think it's a learning curve as far as Shubman Gill goes,” Shastri added.

The last time Shubman Gill led Team India was in the T20I series against Zimbabwe in July 2024, captaining the Men in Blue to a series win 4-1. He is also the vice-captain of India's ODI team and played a pivotal role in the team's Champions Trophy triumph earlier this year.

Shubman Gill will lead Team India in Test cricket for the first time in his career, stepping into the shoes of modern-day legends and aiming to script a fresh chapter in Indian cricket history amid challenging English conditions.

MENAFN19062025007385015968ID1109696436