Shubman Gill reflects on Test captaincy role, emphasises secure environment for players

LEEDS: As India prepare to face England in the much-anticipated Test series starting Friday in Leeds, newly-appointed Test captain Shubman Gill opened up about the honour of leading the national side and the leadership vision he shares with vice-captain Rishabh Pant.

Taking charge of the team in the longest format, Gill described the captaincy as the highest privilege for any cricketer. “Captaining your country, especially in Test cricket, is the biggest honour a player can get,” said Gill. “It’s something not many get the opportunity to experience, and I am very excited for this challenge,” he noted.

Shubman Gill says winning a Test series in England is bigger than winning the IPL pic.twitter.com/WkVrIo2oJe

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 19, 2025

Gill, who has spent years playing alongside Pant across various formats, spoke about their shared approach to leadership and the team environment they wish to foster. “Rishabh and I have played a lot of cricket together, and our thinking is quite aligned. We want to build a culture in the team where everyone feels secure,” he said.

“I genuinely believe that players give their best performances when they feel validated and safe, and that’s exactly the kind of environment we aim to create,” he added.

We are ready to compete

Captain Shubman Gill takes guard #TeamIndia | #ENGvIND | @ShubmanGill pic.twitter.com/aTPiP26EJC

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 20, 2025

Under a fresh leadership group, India will aim to begin a new chapter in Test cricket with renewed energy and clarity, as they look to overcome England in their own backyard. India tour of England will take place from June 20 to August 4, with matches to be played at Headingley (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Lord’s (London), Old Trafford (Manchester), and The Oval (London).

A new era beckons for India in the Test format as the modern-day giants gear up for their first assignment without the prized batting bigwigs Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Shubman Gill, India’s youngest Test captain, has taken the baton from Rohit to guide the nation to success and challenge for the World Test Championship mace.

India’s squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana.

England Playing XI for the 1st Test against India: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir. (ANI)