Shubman Gill: Former keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik hailed Shubman Gill for the manner in which he handled the English media in his debut series as Test captain. Karthik also praised the batter for having the hunger of wanting to be the best and walking the talk with the willow in hand.
Gill, who had a poor overseas record in red-ball cricket ahead of the England series, had an exceptional 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He amassed 754 runs in 10 innings, with four tons and a career-best of 269, breaking numerous batting records along the way. While his captaincy was a mixed bag, Gill won a lot of plaudits for the manner in which he managed the team on Day 5 at The Oval.
During a discussion on Cricbuzz, Karthik applauded Gill for both his batting and his leadership, which he felt got better as the series went on. The former stumper said:
“He’s been aggressive at times; sometimes he did cross the line. I think he’ll change that about himself to an extent. I hope he doesn’t change it too much. But most importantly, the way he handled the English media [he did it very well].”
The storm only rattles those who aren’t ready for it. pic.twitter.com/FQgvyH8dPV
— Shubman Gill (@ShubmanGill) August 4, 2025
The 40-year-old admitted that there were plenty of question marks over the decision to name Gill as leader, given his underwhelming record away from home in Test cricket. Hailing the 25-year-old for getting his act right and also working on his technical flaws, Karthik commented:
“Walking into this series, people were asking – Shubman Gill, away from India, his record can be better. And he said, ‘I want to be the best batter across both teams’. It’s one thing to have confidence, but you’ve got to back that up with skill. He came prepared. There was a vulnerability in his batting [against] the ball coming back in. He found a way to work on his technique and counter it.
“What was the defining part of what he achieved was the hunger and determination. That 269 and the hundred he got at Edgbaston, the amount of time he batted was astounding,” he went on to add.
The run machines of a prolific #ENGvIND series, with India skipper Shubman Gill leading the way 🔥#WTC27 ✍️: https://t.co/syGAmqYzRv pic.twitter.com/L3494sOrxv
— ICC (@ICC) August 5, 2025
Gill kicked off the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy with a brilliant 147 in the first innings of the Leeds Test. He was the Player of the Match for his superb knocks of 269 & 161 in the second Test in Birmingham.
Shubman Gill in elite company as captain after batting heroics in England
Having amassed 754 runs during the five-match Test series in England, Gill now finds himself in second place on the list of captains with most runs in a Test series. Only Sir Donald Bradman (810 in 1936-37 Ashes) has scored more runs than the Indian captain in a Test series, while leading the side.
Gill surpassed England’s Graham Gooch, who amassed 752 runs in six innings during the home series against India in 1990. Sunil Gavaskar (732) and David Gower (732) complete the top five list of captains with most runs in a Test series.
