Overview:
The BCCI recognised that once he gained further leadership experience, he would be the natural successor to Rohit Sharma.
India’s succession strategy is becoming clearer with each passing day. Gill’s new responsibility in T20Is marks the next phase in his grooming as a complete leader. Once the World Cup curtain falls, he is expected to slide seamlessly into the top job. India seem ready to ditch the split-leadership experiment, unlike England’s template. With youth, form, and tactical smarts, Gill checks every box as the face of India’s leadership for years to come.
When Rohit Sharma took over from Virat Kohli, his captaincy term was always expected to be relatively short due to age and the stage of his career. In contrast, Shubman Gill is only in his mid-20s, giving Indian cricket a leader who can potentially serve for many years. His early signs have been highly encouraging, steering India to a well-fought 2-2 result in his debut Test series as captain for the iconic Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. That performance showcased not just confidence but sharp leadership instincts, hinting at a bright era ahead with Gill at the helm.
What may surprise a lot of people is that Gill’s captaincy path wasn’t drawn overnight. According to ex-selector Salil Ankola, the BCCI had already begun seeing Gill as Rohit’s long-term replacement during the 2023 season itself, setting the groundwork for this transition well in advance.
2023 turned out to be the year Gill truly became a batting powerhouse, piling up hundreds and even double-centuries with remarkable ease. Despite being sidelined by dengue for two World Cup games, he still managed to produce more than 350 runs in just nine outings. The BCCI recognised that once he gained further leadership experience, he would be the natural successor to Rohit Sharma.
“We always believed Gill was the natural successor for the captaincy. As early as 2023, we viewed him as someone who would eventually take over leadership duties. The selectors consult not only the coach and captain but also experienced players, even former ones, and they too felt Gill was the ideal candidate,” Ankola stated during his appearance on Vicky Lalwani’s YouTube channel.
“It wasn’t one person’s decision, it was agreed upon by all. Gill showed exactly why with that incredible series in England. To pile up 750 runs in those challenging conditions reflects his mental strength. But people will always talk, they’ll question choices, propose alternatives, and never be fully satisfied. That’s human nature, everyone believes they have the answers,” Ankola added.
