India currently has three designated captains. In Tests, Shubman Gill is the skipper, while in T20Is, Suryakumar Yadav holds the reins. In ODIs, Rohit Sharma is the incumbent captain, though there are rumours that he might be phased out ahead of the 2027 World Cup. This is quite a new situation in Indian cricket, where one captain has mostly been in charge of all three formats. Shubman Gill, the current Test captain, was not part of the 2024 T20 World Cup squad. However, with the form he is in—scoring over 750 runs in five Test matches against England—fitting Gill into the format seems non-negotiable.
A PTI report has even claimed that Gill is in the race to be vice-captain. Amidst this, former BCCI selector Devang Gandhi said, “Split captaincy doesn’t work in India in the long run.”
“Gill has built an aura similar to what Virat had in 2017. Virat was groomed under MS Dhoni. Gill is also at his peak like Virat was. He too has reacted to captaincy as well as Virat did. Ajit Agarkar has shown great foresight by appointing Gill as Test captain. There’s no reason why he should not give Gill a leadership role in T20. The messaging has to be clear about who takes over after Surya,” Gandhi told TOI.
“Unlike other countries, split captaincy doesn’t work in India in the long run because you crave stability in the thought process. When you have a prolific all-format player leading in one format, it becomes difficult not to hand him the same responsibility in the other formats. Gill has ticked all the boxes as a batter. And he has led in the IPL.”
Meanwhile, India Test captain Shubman Gill has landed the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for July 2025 following his heroics against England in a thrilling Test series, after facing stiff competition from England Test skipper Ben Stokes and South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder, as per the official website of ICC.
The 25-year-old enjoyed a remarkable month in July, piling up 567 runs at an outstanding average of 94.50 across three Tests, smashing a double hundred and two hundreds in six outings.
It was Gill’s first tour as India’s Test captain and the 25-year-old said it was a nice honour to be recognised.
“It feels great to be named the ICC Player of the Month for July,” Gill said.
“This time it holds a lot more significance since it has come for my performances during my first Test series as captain.
“The double ton in Birmingham is obviously something I will cherish forever and will be one of the highlights of my tour to England.