Shubman Gill as India’s Vice-Captain: Does Form Justify the Decision, or Is It a Vote of Faith by BCCI?

Decades ago, the vice-captaincy of the Australian Test team was often a precarious position. Players like Andrew Hilditch, David Hookes, and Ray Bright were named Allan Border’s deputies, only to find themselves out of the team shortly after. While this may have been coincidental, the vice-captaincy in cricket remains both a ceremonial and significant role. It involves collaborating with the captain and head coach in devising strategies, and holding some authority but with limited responsibility—unless the captain is unavailable.

Ideally, the vice-captain should be seen as the captain-in-waiting, learning the ropes to step into the captaincy when needed. This informal succession plan has worked well for Indian cricket. Rahul Dravid served as Sourav Ganguly’s deputy before taking over as captain, MS Dhoni spent a year under Anil Kumble’s leadership before assuming charge, and Virat Kohli observed Dhoni closely before taking on leadership roles in 2015 and 2017.

It seems India is now preparing Shubman Gill for a long-term leadership role, possibly even as the captain of 50-over cricket in the near future. At 25, he has ample experience, having played 47 ODIs and 21 T20Is, and has the youth to hold the role for a long time, assuming form and fitness allow. Leadership continuity is crucial, and Gill has shown signs of readiness.

Gill’s appointment as Rohit Sharma’s vice-captain for the upcoming Champions Trophy is in line with recent trends. Over the last few months, he has been given increasing leadership responsibilities, such as captaining India in a T20I series in Zimbabwe in July and being made vice-captain for the ODI series in Sri Lanka that month.

Gill, a smart and creative cricketer, is also no stranger to leadership. He led Gujarat Titans last year when Hardik Pandya was unavailable. Though he could be more assertive, which will come with time, the Indian team’s management sees him as a potential successor to Rohit for the ODI captaincy, possibly even by the time the next 50-over World Cup takes place in 2027.

In ODIs, Gill has been outstanding, averaging 58.20 with six centuries from 47 innings, including a career-high 208. His strike rate of 101.74 is above the industry average. Even in Zimbabwe, where India won the series 4-1, he performed consistently, showing that the added responsibility of captaincy won’t hinder his batting.

However, his recent performance in Australia raises concerns. With just 93 runs from five innings in the recent Test series, his struggles with the moving ball and bouncing pitches continue. This has led to questions about his place in the XI, especially when India faces England this summer. As a result, Jasprit Bumrah, not Gill, is the Test vice-captain at this stage.

Split captaincy isn’t new for India. Once Gill takes over in ODIs, it’s possible someone else—Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, or KL Rahul—could lead the Test team. But for now, Gill needs to rediscover his form in the upcoming Champions Trophy to prove that his potential as a leader is matched by his batting brilliance, a trait he has in abundance.