Sachin Tendulkar Has Nothing but Admiration for Shubman Gill Ahead of His Test Captaincy Debut

Sachin Tendulkar praised new Test captain Shubman Gill, expressing confidence he'll achieve something special in his England debut.

Sachin Tendulkar Has Nothing but Admiration for Shubman Gill Ahead of His Test Captaincy Debut

Sachin Tendulkar praised new Indian Test captain Shubman Gill and backed him to do 'something special'. (Image via India Today)

Indian cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar was full of praise for newly appointed Team India red-ball skipper Shubman Gill, ahead of his captaincy debut against England. Tendulkar expressed his firm belief in the young captain’s abilities, stating that he would do ‘something special’ in England. 

Last month, Shubman Gill was appointed India’s new Test captain, after the position was vacated following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the longest format. Sharma was followed by India’s most successful red-ball skipper, Virat Kohli, who retired days later. Gill was chosen as a successor to Sharma, while Rishabh Pant as his deputy, with their first major assignment being the five-match Test series against England. 

Concerns have risen however, regarding Gill’s leadership capabilities and his limited experience in Test cricket. He’s never captained India’s Test team, having only led the national side once in white-ball cricket during a 2024 tour to Zimbabwe. His primary captaincy experience comes from leading Gujarat Titans in the IPL. Furthermore, Gill’s record of just 1893 runs from 32 Tests has prompted questions about his accession to the role over more seasoned players like Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul.

Despite these concerns, the 25-year-old has been backed by several former Indian players, one of them being his idol and legend Sachin Tendulkar. Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Tendulkar praised Gill’s abilities and advised him to ignore outside opinions about his captaincy style. Tendulkar, who himself captained India at just 23 in 1996, urged Gill to follow his own instincts, and to focus solely on discussions within the dressing room.

Talking about the young batter possibly playing at the no. 4 spot, a position previously held by Tendulkar himself and then Virat Kohli, the 52-year-old felt it was a positive sign that people trust Gill with such a crucial role. It remains to be seen whether Shubman Gill manages to reach close to his predecessors’ records at no.4, with Sachin having scored 13,408 runs, and Kohli 7,564 runs in that position.

I would say, just go out, it’s a huge honour, enjoy the moment and give your best for the country and do what is in the interest of the country. Other than that, I would say shut the doors to everything.

Sachin Tendulkar’s advice to Shubman Gill

Sachin Tendulkar also advised Gill to remain authentic and commit fully to every match of the England tour, confidently predicting the 25-year-old captain would achieve ‘something special’. He even refused to draw parallels between his captaincy stint, to Shubman Gill. Asked to predict the outcome of India’s five-match Test series in England, Tendulkar concluded by stating that the Men in Blue would win it 3-1. 

The expectations that people have of him [Shubman Gill] is a positive sign, because people have faith in him… I’m sure he’ll do something special.

Apart from him, the former Indian star also heaped praise on Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant, who is among the senior batters in the India side.

Shubman Gill draws inspiration from 2024 India-England series, which ended in favor of the Men in Blue

Newly appointed Indian skipper Shubman Gill highlighted his conversations with former India captains, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, ahead of the team’s five-match series against England. Gill plans to draw inspiration from India’s 4-1 home Test series win against England in 2024. 

Shubman Gill on England Test inspiration
Shubman Gill hopes to take inspiration from India’s 2024 Test series win over England. (Image via Indian Express)

The young man revealed that he met both of them during the 2025 IPL season and took note of the valuable insights that they provided about their experiences in England. Shubman Gill hinted that his side would draw ingenuity from the 2024 Test series, where India won by a margin. Notably, Gill was the second-highest scorer in that series, with 452 runs at an average of 56.50, just behind Yashasvi Jaiswal.

I think the Test Series that we played against England in India was one of the best series that I have been part of… And how we went about that series was the way that I think the series is also going to be.

Shubman Gill said prior to the match

Shubman Gill and the Indian red-ball team face a challenging historical record in England. Out of 19 Test series played there, India has only won three, while England has dominated with an impressive 14 victories.