Team India batter Shubman Gill has recorded the second-highest batting average among Test captains after crossing the 1,000-run mark in the role. The right-hander has enjoyed a remarkable start to his captaincy career and has joined an elite group of leaders in Test cricket history.
Gill reached the milestone during the one-off Test against Afghanistan at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur. He played a crucial innings of 126 runs, helping India build a strong first-innings total and further strengthening his impressive record as Test captain.
Shubman Gill Climbs to Second on Elite Test Captains List
Shubman Gill's century against Afghanistan lifted his batting average as Test captain to an outstanding 82.76. The Indian skipper is second among all captains in Test history who have scored at least 1,000 runs while leading their teams.
Gill is now second only to Australian great Don Bradman, who holds the record with an average of 101.51 as captain. The Indian skipper has moved ahead of legends such as Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, and Steve Smith.
| Player | Team | Runs | Batting Average as Captain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Don Bradman | Australia | 3147 | 101.51 |
| Shubman Gill* | India | 1076 | 82.76 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 1601 | 69.60 |
| Steve Smith | Australia | 4425 | 68.07 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | Sri Lanka | 3665 | 59.11 |
Gill Becomes the Fastest Captain to Reach 1,000 Test Runs by Time
Shubman Gill has continued to rewrite records since becoming India's Test captain. His strong run-scoring form helped him become the fastest captain in Test history to reach 1,000 runs in terms of time, achieving the milestone in just 351 days.
Gill completed 1,000 Test runs as captain in his 15th innings, making him the second-fastest Indian captain to reach the milestone by innings. Only Sunil Gavaskar reached the mark faster among Indian captains, doing so in 14 innings.
Gill has also shown remarkable consistency since taking over the role, scoring six Test centuries in just nine matches as captain. His performances have played a key role in India's success in the longest format.
The Indian batter enjoyed a remarkable tour of England, scoring 754 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.40. He struck four centuries during the series, including a career-best score of 269. He also performed strongly against the West Indies, scoring 192 runs at an average of 96.00, with one century.
Shubman Gill Registers One of the Highest Test Scores Against Afghanistan
Gill's innings of 126 against Afghanistan also placed him among the batters with the highest individual scores against the team in Test cricket. The Indian captain dominated the bowling attack and moved into an elite list featuring several notable international players. India are currently at the score of 475/6 after the end of first session.
| Score | Player | Team | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 154 | Sean Williams | Zimbabwe | Bulawayo | 2024 |
| 151* | Sean Williams | Zimbabwe | Abu Dhabi | 2021 |
| 146 | Najmul Hossain Shanto | Bangladesh | Mirpur | 2023 |
| 141 | Angelo Mathews | Sri Lanka | Colombo (SSC) | 2024 |
| 126 | Shubman Gill | India | Mullanpur | 2026* |
