Shubman Gill's 5-Hour lunch with Gautam Gambhir seals India Test captaincy deal
Published - 17 May 2025, 01:59 PM | Updated - 17 May 2025, 02:05 PM
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Shubman Gill has emerged as the top contender to lead the India National Cricket Team in Test cricket after Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the format, with his appointment expected to be finalized before the high-stakes tour of England, starting June 20.
Sources revealed that Shubman Gill is not just on the radar, but he has already been treated like India’s new Test captain. According to a Times of India report, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir had invited Gill to his Delhi residence for lunch, and they discussed for four to five hours.
Shubman Gill all but confirmed as India’s next Test captain after a secret meeting with Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill’s closed-door conversation amid the Test captaincy buzz has sparked intense chatter on social media, with insiders calling it a "captaincy blueprint discussion." Gill’s meeting with Gambhir in Delhi has also been confirmed by PTI.
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The report suggests that Gill is now virtually confirmed as India’s next Test captain, with all top BCCI officials already on board with the decision. The PTI report said, “With the new captain-in-waiting having an extended meeting with the head coach in the national capital a few days back, there is little chance for the selectors or Gambhir to retract from their original stand.”
The report added, “There were rumors that influential people running Indian cricket aren’t exactly happy with Gill’s sudden elevation, but it would be completely foolhardy to believe that those powerful men weren’t taken into confidence before the Punjab batter was zeroed in as the next Test leader.”
Shubman Gill meets Ajit Agarkar in Mumbai amid Test captaincy buzz
To add more fuel to the fire, India chief selector Ajit Agarkar has also reportedly met Gill on May 6. Ajit Agarkar and India’s ODI vice-captain met immediately after an IPL 2025 game between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai earlier this month.
Gill’s back-to-back high-profile meetings with Agarkar and Gambhir suggest that the format announcement of him being named India’s new Test captain is just around the corner.
Meanwhile, senior players like Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant are also in contention for the Test captaincy, but the national selectors are reportedly backing young Gill for captaincy. He will be named the captain when BCCI announces the Test squad for the England tour.
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BCCI is keen to build a Test team around Shubman Gill
Gill’s rise ahead of seniors like Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, and Ravindra Jadeja has surprised many, but the BCCI and the selectors are looking at the GT captain as a long-term captaincy bet. They believe his calm mindset and leadership potential make him the ideal man for the future.
A BCCI source was quoted as saying by TOI, “Gill has shown impressive leadership qualities in the way he has led GT, who are currently topping the table this season. With a new WTC cycle starting from the England tour, the board is keen to build a team around him.”
Notably, India’s Test squad is likely to be announced by the end of May, and the first group of players is expected to fly out to England in the first week of June for the five-match Test series.
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