Unraveling Shubman Gill's potential as a captain, as outcomes will shape his leadership role
In a remarkable turn of events, Shubman Gill has been appointed as the captain of the Indian cricket team, marking a new era in the sport's history. However, his leadership journey has not been without controversy, as an incident at Lord's during the third Test against England raised some eyebrows.
During the third day of the match, Gill found himself in a heated exchange with English batsman Zak Crawley, following perceived unfair play by the English batsmen. Gill approached Crawley with animated gestures and muttered expletives, for which Nasser Hussain had to apologise. This incident occurred just a week after Jonathan Trott implied that Gill was trying to "act" and imitate Kohli's style of playing during the Lord's Test.
Despite these distractions, Gill's performance on the field has been nothing short of exceptional. His batting record as India's Test captain outside Asia is outstanding, with historic achievements and high run tallies. Recently, against England in 2025, he scored 269 runs at Edgbaston, the highest individual Test score by an Indian outside Asia, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's 241 at Sydney in 2004 and Virat Kohli’s previous record of 254 runs. In the same England series, Gill accumulated 697 runs*, becoming the highest run-scorer by an Indian in a single Test series in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia), overtaking Kohli’s 692 runs in Australia in 2014-15. His 697 runs put him second only to Sunil Gavaskar’s 732 runs (West Indies, 1978-79) for most runs by an Indian captain in a Test series, with a real chance to surpass that record as the series continues.
Gill's ability to maintain high batting control (93.28% in the Edgbaston innings) indicates great composure and strategic concentration, traits often correlated with effective leadership on the field. His record-breaking performances against strong foreign bowling attacks demonstrate resilience, focus, and leading by example, qualities that characterize an impactful captain.
However, there's still a question mark over how Gill fares on trickier pitches. The series could have looked very different with slightly better execution by the Indian team. Gill was unsettled after brief exchanges with Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith, which led to his dismissal against Australia. Anderson dismissed Gill on the next delivery following their run-in at Lord's.
In the current Test series in England, Gill has made 607 runs in six innings, the most by an Indian batter in a Test series in England. He has made three centuries in the series so far. However, England, persuaded by head coach Brendon McCullum, turned up the chat and harassed Gill while he was batting on day four, causing frustration for the young captain.
Despite these challenges, Gill's ability to channel emotions productively, even when constantly sledged, is evident. This was showcased in his performance during the under-19 World Cup semi-final against Pakistan in 2018, where he scored a hundred despite constant sledging.
As the series progresses, it will be interesting to see how Gill navigates these challenges and continues to lead India to victories. His leadership style, while not yet fully defined, seems to be one of resilience, focus, and a willingness to stand up for his team when necessary.
Shubman Gill, in his role as captain of the Indian cricket team, has demonstrated exceptional business acumen, strategizing effectively to lead his team to victories. His record-breaking performances in sports, such as the 269 runs scored at Edgbaston against England, showcase his leadership qualities in sports-analysis, setting him apart from other captains. However, his leadership journey has been marred by controversies off the field, highlighting the balancing act between sports and finance, two critical aspects of any successful business.
