Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes Shubman Gill deserves time to settle and establish himself as the Test team captain.
Shubman Gill’s Test Captaincy Under Scrutiny Amid Transition and Tough English Tour
Following India’s defeat to England at Headingley—where the hosts chased down a daunting 371—criticism of Shubman Gill’s captaincy has intensified. Several pundits, including former England skipper Nasser Hussain, pointed out the lack of clarity in leadership on the field, noting how KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant were often seen setting the field, creating an impression of “too many captains.”
Shubman Gill, just 25, was handed the Test captaincy after Rohit Sharma retired from the longest format. His leadership tenure coincides with a major transition in Indian cricket, following the simultaneous exit of three stalwarts: Rohit, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin. The young skipper is also operating without key bowlers—Mohammed Shami is out of the squad, while Jasprit Bumrah is only available for three Tests. To add to the challenge, Siraj and Prasidh Krishna have proven expensive, leaking runs consistently.
India’s woes extended beyond captaincy. In the series opener, two lower-order collapses and a dismal fielding effort—marked by six to seven dropped catches, including four by Yashasvi Jaiswal—further exposed cracks in the team.
Former India pacer Irfan Pathan has urged patience. Speaking at a media interaction hosted by Sony Sports Network, Pathan stressed the need to support Shubman Gill during this difficult phase. “There are a lot of talks about his captaincy and bowling changes. I think we need to give him time. He’s a new captain leading a side in transition. He doesn’t have Shami, Ashwin, Kohli, or Rohit in the dressing room,” Pathan said.
Despite the pressure, Shubman Gill has shown promise. In a pre-series interview with Dinesh Karthik on Sky Sports, he revealed that head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have given him complete freedom, easing the burden. He also made a strong start with a century in his first innings of the series.
Pathan believes that Gill’s recent hundred will help him settle into the role. “A lot of people talk about his authority. That will come with time. The century has taken care of his form. Once that’s settled, he’ll be able to make the tough calls.”
Pathan cites example of Ravindra Jadeja
To further strengthen his argument, Irfan Pathan cited a tactical oversight involving Ravindra Jadeja during the Headingley Test that highlighted the steep learning curve Shubman Gill faces as a young captain. In England’s second innings, left-hander Ben Duckett hammered 149 runs, frequently reverse-sweeping Jadeja to the boundary. Pathan pointed out that Jadeja, a senior bowler, initially bowled around the wicket, despite rough patches being available outside off-stump.
“I’ll give you an example—Ravindra Jadeja. There was rough outside Ben Duckett’s off stump, yet Jadeja started from around the wicket. On Day 5, ideally, you go over the wicket to exploit that rough. But Duckett hit a couple of reverse sweeps and settled in. Only then did Jadeja switch to over the wicket, where the ball spun more and bounced better,” Pathan explained.
Pathan used this moment to illustrate the challenges Gill faces when managing experienced players. “As a young captain, you tend to allow senior bowlers their space. But with time and confidence, Gill will assert himself more. We’ve seen this with many past leaders—they weren’t perfect from the start. Authority comes with experience and performance.”
He concluded by emphasizing patience. “Gill is just one Test old as captain. If you’d asked me this a year into his tenure, I’d have evaluated him differently. But right now, it’s too early. He deserves the time to grow and fully understand how to utilise his resources.”
