Shubman Gill with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli [Source: @GillPrince07/X.com]
England cricketer Jos Buttler has made a big statement about his Gujarat Titans teammate and India’s new Test captain, Shubman Gill. Buttler believes that Gill will be a perfect mix of former Indian captains Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Last month, both Rohit and Kohli retired from Test cricket. With their exit, 25-year-old Gill was given the responsibility of leading the Indian Test team. Buttler, who played under Gill during the 2025 IPL season, praised the young cricketer and said he’s very impressive and has a strong fighting spirit.
Gill has now taken Rohit Sharma’s place as captain. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has also stepped away from Tests, and this leaves Gill leading one of the youngest Indian squads in recent years.
Notably, the BCCI chose Gill over more experienced players like Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul, ahead of the important Test series in England. India have not won a Test series in England since 2007, so this is a major challenge for the young captain.
Jos Buttler Shares His Thoughts On Shubman Gill's Captaincy
Speaking on his podcast “For the Love of Cricket” with Stuart Broad, Buttler shared his thoughts on Gill’s leadership style:
"He's a really impressive player and an impressive young man," Buttler said. "He's pretty calm and measured when he speaks, but [it's] interesting, I feel like on the field he's got a bit of fight about him; a bit of intensity, quite passionate. I think he'll be a mix of Kohli and Rohit."
This England series also marks the beginning of India’s campaign in the 2025–2027 World Test Championship, with Gill at the forefront of this new chapter.
Before this, Gill had a short but successful captaincy stint with the Indian T20 team. He led India in five matches during the 2024 T20I series against Zimbabwe, winning four and losing just one. That 80% win rate gave a glimpse of his potential as a leader.