Shubman Gill captain only for England tour? Ajit agarkar reveals how long BCCI will bear

Team India chief selector Ajit Agarkar has revealed the actual reason for appointing young batter Shubman Gill as the new Test captain for the five-match Test series against England. Agarkar also stated that Gill might struggle in his first assignment as India skipper in the challenging conditions in England.

The BCCI named Shubman Gill as India’s new Test captain on Saturday, May 24. The 25-year-old takes over from Rohit Sharma, who announced his retirement from Test cricket on May 7. Notably, the selection committee backed Gill with the leadership role after much deliberation and assessment.

You Don’t Pick Captains for 1-2 Tours - Ajit Agarkar on Shubman Gill

Speaking at the press conference, Ajit Agarkar said that Shubman Gill’s appointment as Test captain wasn’t just about the upcoming England tour, but a long-term investment. He said that Gill has shown growth over the past two years.

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"You don't pick Captains for 1-2 tours. You want to invest in something that is going to help us going forward. We have seen some progress in him over the last 2 years. There is no doubt, it is going to be tough doing a 5 match series in England. Maybe we will have to learn on the job a little, but we are very confident and that is the reason we are picking him..."

India Test Squad Announcement for England Tour | On choosing Shubman Gill as the Captain, Indian Men's cricket team chief selector, Ajit Agarkar says " You don't pick Captains for 1-2 tour. You want to invest in something that is going to help us going forward. We have seen some… pic.twitter.com/1a8cseaWdY

— ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2025

Shubman Gill Hasn’t Led India in Red-Ball Cricket Before

Shubman Gill becomes one of India’s youngest Test captains. He hasn’t led India in red-ball cricket before but captained India in a five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe in 2024. He also brings leadership experience from the Indian Premier League, where he leads the Gujarat Titans (GT).

Gill has been steadily transitioning into leadership roles, having served as vice-captain in both ODIs and T20Is. Notably, he was Rohit Sharma’s deputy during India’s victorious Champions Trophy 2025 campaign in the UAE earlier this year.

The Punjab-born cricketer has played 32 Test matches, scoring 1,893 runs, including five centuries. Rohit Sharma will continue to lead in ODIs, while Gill and Suryakumar Yadav will captain the Test and T20I sides, respectively.

Ajit Agarkar Announces India’s Test Squad for England Tour

India’s Test team has undergone a major shift, with Shubman Gill taking over as captain and Rishabh Pant named his deputy. The revamped squad features fresh faces along with some returning players.

Sai Sudharsan has received his maiden Test call-up, while Karun Nair returns after a five-year gap. Abhimanyu Easwaran also makes his way back into the squad.

India’s tour will begin with the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, starting June 20. Many of the selected players are currently participating in the final stages of IPL 2025, which concludes on June 3.

A few players from the main Test squad will also represent the India 'A' team in a three-match series, including a fixture against the senior team starting June 13.

Also read: Cheteshwar Pujara sneaks in at the last moment for India tour of England 2025