MUMBAI, May 24 — In a major leadership transition, Shubman Gill was on Saturday appointed as the new captain of the Indian Test team, with Rishabh Pant named his deputy. The announcement comes ahead of the high-stakes five-Test series against England, starting June 20 in Leeds.
At 25 years old, Gill becomes India’s fifth youngest Test captain, following Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (21), Sachin Tendulkar (23), Kapil Dev (24) and Ravi Shastri (25). The Fazilka-born cricketer, who honed his skills at the Punjab Cricket Association in Mohali, now steps into a central leadership role in a new era for Indian cricket.
“You don’t pick captains for one or two tours. It’s a new cycle and an opportunity to build something. It’s someone else’s chance now,” said chief selector Ajit Agarkar at a press conference held at the BCCI headquarters on Saturday.
Agarkar emphasized that the decision was made after thorough evaluation. “Over the last year, we’ve looked at him (Gill). We’ve taken feedback from the dressing room as well. And we’re hopeful we’ve picked the right guy,” he added. “It’s going to be as tough as it gets—five Tests in England. Maybe he’ll have to learn on the job, but we’re very confident.”
Pant’s promotion to vice-captain marks his return to a leadership role following his recovery from a serious car accident. Agarkar said, “Pant has been one of our best batters over the last couple of years. He will support Gill with his experience. Right now, these two are the players we believe will lead the team forward.”
The selection panel also handed maiden Test call-ups to promising left-hander B Sai Sudharsan and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, recognizing their recent performances across formats. Another significant inclusion is Karun Nair, who makes a comeback to the national squad after seven years.
Among notable omissions is veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who was ruled out due to fitness concerns. “His workload is not where it needs to be. We were hoping he will be available but it is unfortunate. At the moment, he is not fully fit,” said Agarkar.
Harshit Rana and Sarfaraz Khan, part of the recent tour to Australia, have been dropped from the squad.
India’s 18-member squad for England Tests:
Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
The five-Test England series marks the start of India’s new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, with selectors signaling a forward-looking approach in both leadership and team composition.
