India’s New Test Captain Shubman Gill Breaks 58-Year-Old Record with Century in England
The Indian cricket team, currently touring England, got off to an impressive start in its first Test match of the series — thanks to a historic performance by its new Test captain, Shubman Gill.
Breaking a Long-Standing Record
Back in 1967, during India’s Test match at Leeds, then-captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi made headlines by scoring a brilliant half-century at the age of 26, setting a benchmark for young Indian captains performing overseas.
Fast forward 58 years, and Shubman Gill has gone a step further. At just 25 years old, he not only equaled this rare feat by scoring a half-century abroad but also converted it into a remarkable century on Day 1, making his captaincy debut even more memorable.
Why This is Special
Scoring a fifty or a century on captaincy debut is a mark of composure and maturity under pressure — doing it in foreign conditions makes it even more commendable. For decades, Pataudi’s record had stood as a measure of youthful leadership under challenging English conditions. Now, Gill has broken this with style.
Cricket analysts are curious whether Gill’s record will be noted purely as “the youngest Indian captain to score a fifty abroad” or recognized in a larger sense for his century achievement — either way, it cements his place as one of India’s most promising new leaders in Test cricket.
Joins an Elite Club
With this century, Shubman Gill also becomes only the fifth Indian captain to score a century in his very first Test as skipper. He joins an elite list that includes:
- Vijay Hazare — 164 vs England, Delhi, 1951*
- Sunil Gavaskar — 116 vs New Zealand, Auckland, 1976
- Dilip Vengsarkar — 102 vs West Indies, Delhi, 1987
- Virat Kohli — 115 vs Australia, Adelaide, 2014
A Promising Start to a New Era
Cricket fans and experts alike are celebrating Gill’s historic start as a sign of hope and resilience for Indian Test cricket. With an overseas century on debut as captain, Shubman Gill has set the tone for what could be a remarkable era under his leadership.
As the Test series continues, all eyes will be on Gill — not just as a stylish batsman, but now as a young leader capable of rewriting records.
