Ready to lead: Shubman Gill sends bold message ahead of series opener against England

In a journey of "anticipation", Test captain Shubman Gill is "ready" to lead India into a new era without the presence of batting maestros Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, which begins with a five-match assignment in England on Friday at Headingley.

India is poised to witness a new era in the Test format without its batting bigwigs. Gill, who grabbed the spotlight with his clinical captaincy skills during his stint with Gujarat Titans in the IPL, was deemed Rohit's successor.

India's youngest Test captain will be first put to trial at Headingley, a venue the modern-day behemoth hasn't conquered since 2002. India fine-tuned its preparations in the "Beautiful" Beckenham and arrived at Leeds to apply the finishing touches. Gill is ready to write the new chapter while bearing a responsibility he couldn't have imagined but is willing to embrace it.


"From beautiful Beckenham to the historic stands of Leeds, a journey of anticipation. Every practice session has been a step closer to this moment. There is a different hum, a new chapter waiting to be written. It is an immense honour, a responsibility I couldn't have imagined, but a challenge I am ready to embrace. I am ready to lead, and we are ready to compete. Let the Test begin," Gill said in a video posted by the BCCI on X.

Apart from breaking the jinx at Headingley, Gill will be keen on ending the dreadful drought on England's territory, where India last marshalled a Test series triumph in 2007. While India's fortune hasn't changed, England has transformed into a formidable force under the tutelage of head coach Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes' captaincy. The dynamic duo has not lost a Test series at home since McCullum took over the managerial duties in 2022.

Gill has previously toured England and made three appearances while donning the whites. On every occasion, he bit the bullet with his tantalising performances and mustered up 88 runs at a mere average of 14.66.

India Squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudarshan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.