List Of India Players Who Have Scored A Century In Test Captaincy Debut Ft. Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in their First Test as Captain of India [Source: @c65185, @srk0804/x.com] 

Shubman Gill has entered a rare list with his century in the Headingley Test of the ongoing India tour of England 2025. The 25-year-old batter was handed over the captaincy after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the format after the Border Gavaskar Trophy. 

There were doubts about how he would lead the team and how the team would cope with the challenging conditions in England. However, the visitors stood up to the challenge, with Jaiswal scoring a century and the Indian skipper, Gill, following his steps. As Gill registered the Hundred, he became the fifth Indian player to score a ton in his first match as the captain of the team. Here is a look at the list of the batters who have achieved this feat previously.

1. Vijay Hazare - 164* vs England, 1951, Delhi

Vijay Hazare [Source: @sportstarweb/x.com]

The first player to score a century in his first match as captain of India was the batting legend Vijay Hazare. Interestingly, this knock also came against England, but it was in Delhi. 

The match ended in a draw, but Hazare's knock helped India to a total of 418/6 before they declared the innings. Notably, he became the third player to achieve the feat of scoring 150 plus runs in his captaincy debut after Clement Hill of Australia and Warwick Armstrong.

2. Sunil Gavaskar - 116 vs New Zealand, 1976, Auckland

Sunil Gavaskar [Source: @1no_aalsi_/x.com]

The second name in this list is also a big name, the original master blaster of Indian cricket, Sunil Gavaskar. His first match as the captain of India was against New Zealand in Eden Park in Auckland. Gavaskar scored 116 runs in the first innings of the game and laid the foundation for a memorable win for his nation.

3. Dilip Vengsarkar - 102 vs West Indies, 1987, Delhi

Dilip Vengsarkar [Source: @on_drive2306/x.com]

Known as the colonel of Indian cricket, Dilip Vengsarkar played his first match as a captain for India against West Indies in Delhi. 

The Indian team were bundled out for 75 runs and was put on the back foot. In the second innings, the skipper took it upon himself to take the fight to the opposition. Vengsarkar registered 102 runs off 257 deliveries, and even though it was in a losing cause, it will go down as one of the greatest knocks. 

4. Virat Kohli - 115 vs Australia, 2014, Adelaide

Virat Kohli [Source: @srk0804/x.com]

Virat Kohli played a dramatic knock of 115 runs in his first match as the captain of the Indian team. It was in Adelaide where Kohli showed the nerves of steel and character of a warrior when he scored a century in both innings of the game. 

Notably, with his performance in the match, Kohli became only the second captain in the history of the game after Greg Chappell to score twin Hundreds in his first match as Test captain. Even though India lost the game, Kohli's performance will be remembered as one of the best displays by a captain in his first Test match at the role. 

5. Shubman Gill vs England, Headingley, 2025

The latest addition to the list is Shubman Gill. He has registered a century against England in the ongoing Test match at Headingley, Leeds. All the names on the list are greats of the Indian game. It is expected that Gill will carry forward the legacy of these players and become one of the greats in the nation's history.

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