Does Shubman Gill averaging only 35 in test deserves captaincy?

[cricspirit]

Opening position was not for him. Many of us knew no.4 was better for him and this is a great start.

[Number]

Average gone above 40.

If he keeps playing like that who knows it might as well cross 50.

[kosingh]

Gill is still learning how to manage the bowling, but he is going to be around a long time.

 

The earlier Gambhir is gone, the better it would be for Gill. 

[vvvslaxman]

2 hours ago, kosingh said:

Gill is still learning how to manage the bowling, but he is going to be around a long time.

 

The earlier Gambhir is gone, the better it would be for Gill. 

 

He is more proactive than fat sharma

[Lord]

 

[Gollum]

Criticism earlier was justified. Now he will get his dues. Only performance matters at the end of the day. 

 

Same applies to KL, Siraj......

[Gollum]

Good thing is by doing well as captain, guys like Jaiswal/Pant will have a relatively pressure free environment. We must extract the best especially from those two for next 5-6 years. 

[deathmonger]

3 minutes ago, Gollum said:

Good thing is by doing well as captain, guys like Jaiswal/Pant will have a relatively pressure free environment. We must extract the best especially from those two for next 5-6 years. 

every u19 batch is giving india 2-3 great players. 

 

when they all link up - 

[rkt.india]

5 hours ago, kosingh said:

Gill is still learning how to manage the bowling, but he is going to be around a long time.

 

The earlier Gambhir is gone, the better it would be for Gill. 

Yes, you need an experienced coach with an inexperienced captain.

[rkt.india]

11 hours ago, Vancouver said:

Gill averages above 40 now. Kohli was averaging 39 after 30 test matches.

 

Gill needs to average 60 in next 20 innings to go past Kohli's career avg of 46.

 

Gill needs to average 60 in next 50 innings to go above the average of 50.

 

He is 25.

Averages of most batsmen in Indian team in the last 5 years are a product of the surfaces they have been playing on.  In these five years, most of the Indian batsmen including Kohli, pujara, Rahul have had poor averages. Only Jaiswal was able to do well. 

[crictime]

Average has improved due to big scores in two out of 3 recent innings. Similarly, after bad scores it will come down as well.

 

His average in first 33 tests was below par. Even after these two innings it is not a good batting average and will need more such innings consistently to boost it to acceptable level first. Subsequently he will need to maintain the high batting average if at all he achieves it. 

 

And with regards to captaincy, he has lost 1 test he captained. Even if India wins this, his win loss ratio will be 1 -1. That is 50 percent at best possible result in this test. Okay, he is new to captaincy and he needs more matches as captain? Well, to achieve an average of 35 it took him 32 tests, now should we wait for another 32 tests for hom to have a better win loss ratio under his capatincy?

 

And if the batting average and captaincy win loss ratio is poor after 60 odd tests, then the amount of tests selectors wasted on him will be ridiculous.

Edited July 4, 2025 by crictime

[zen]

14 hours ago, express bowling said:

Gill has upped his test batting average to 40.7 after only 2 tests as captain.

And in matches involving Gill, his average would likely be in the top 3 for India (only Jaiswal & Pant would likely have better averages - min 10 matches played). Most batters in the top 7 would probably be averaging less than 35 in those games.

Edited July 4, 2025 by zen

[goose]

32 minutes ago, zen said:

And in matches involving Gill, his average would likely be in the top 3 for India (only Jaiswal & Pant would likely have better averages - min 10 matches played). Most batters in the top 7 would probably be averaging less than 35 in those games.

 

you high?

[Serpico]

41 minutes ago, zen said:

And in matches involving Gill, his average would likely be in the top 3 for India (only Jaiswal & Pant would likely have better averages - min 10 matches played). Most batters in the top 7 would probably be averaging less than 35 in those games.

he is in top 5. but it is a low bar anyway 

 

 

 

[NameGoesHere]

Somewhere or the other I had opined that this boy will have the shortest tenure as Indian captain in the history of the game. 
 

I’m now here to tell you that if, like me, you too put in 45 years of watching the game closely, sagely analysing every technical and strategic aspect, yes you too can make predictions of coruscating brilliance like me.

 

But you’ll never be as handsome as me, mind.  Gotta be realistic. 

Edited July 4, 2025 by NameGoesHere

[rkt.india]

3 minutes ago, Serpico said:

he is in top 5. but it is a low bar anyway 

 

 

 

Pant is a wk/batsman. He plays his game. Among batsmen only Jaiswal has distinctively higher average than Gill. 

[zen]

54 minutes ago, Serpico said:

he is in top 5. but it is a low bar anyway 

 

 

 

Hasn’t Gill played more overseas than some of the others? For example I don’t recall S Iyer playing in Aus? While Jadeja is batting at his best recently if I am not wrong (Gill has likely not reached his peak in this format yet).
 

Despite that #3 are all in the 35 range. 
 

That shows the folly of mainly relying on career averages.
 

PS to know if the bar is low or how low it is, we also have to see averages of batsmen from the other teams as well in these games.

 

PPS stats also don’t account for the latest games!

Edited July 4, 2025 by zen

[crictime]

35 minutes ago, Serpico said:

he is in top 5. but it is a low bar anyway 

 

 

 

Such a sorry state for Indian batting. A wicket keeper is second best batsman, scoring more than all specialist batsmen except one.

 

In fact there are two multi skilled players, that too in the filtered top 5. Rishabh Pant the keeper and Jadeja who is primarily a bowler.

[express bowling]

54 minutes ago, Serpico said:

he is in top 5. but it is a low bar anyway 

 

 

 

 

Your stats are till 31st Jan.

 

Include till 3rd July and Gill will be in the top 3.

 

 

Batting | Bowling | Fielding | All-round | Partnership | Team | Umpire and referee | Aggregate/overall

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Primary team India http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruRemove.gif

Involving the player Shubman Gill (IND) http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruRemove.gif

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Overall figures

Player	Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Avehttp://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/blackArrowDown.gif	BF	SR	100	50	0	4s	6s
RR Pant	2020-2025	20	34	3	1679	146	54.16	2085	80.52	5	9	1	191	47	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
YBK Jaiswal	2023-2025	18	33	2	1615	214*	52.09	2269	71.17	4	9	2	196	36	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
Shubman Gill	2020-2025	34	62	5	2317	269	40.64	3789	61.15	7	7	5	260	35	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
KL Rahul	2022-2025	12	21	2	714	137	37.57	1252	57.02	2	3	0	89	8	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
RA Jadeja	2020-2025	23	34	3	1145	112	36.93	2371	48.29	2	7	3	106	16	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
SS Iyer	2021-2024	11	19	2	609	105	35.82	1029	59.18	1	3	2	71	11	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
RG Sharma	2021-2024	25	45	2	1453	161	33.79	2502	58.07	4	5	2	176	26	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
CA Pujara	2020-2023	16	29	1	923	102*	32.96	2402	38.42	1	7	2	110	2	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
AM Rahane	2020-2023	12	20	1	587	112	30.89	1227	47.84	1	2	1	67	3	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
V Kohli	2021-2025	23	40	2	1160	186	30.52	2267	51.16	2	4	3	115	4	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
R Ashwin	2020-2024	26	38	2	848	113

 

 

Edited July 4, 2025 by express bowling

[Serpico]

1 hour ago, express bowling said:

 

Your stats are till 31st Jan.

 

Include till 3rd July and Gill will be in the top 3.

 

 

Batting | Bowling | Fielding | All-round | Partnership | Team | Umpire and referee | Aggregate/overall

View overall figures [change view]

Primary team India http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruRemove.gif

Involving the player Shubman Gill (IND) http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruRemove.gif

Qualifications runs scored greater than or equal to 500 http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruRemove.gif

Ordered by batting average (descending)

Page 1 of 1

Showing 1 - 11 of 11

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Overall figures

Player	Span	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Avehttp://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/blackArrowDown.gif	BF	SR	100	50	0	4s	6s
RR Pant	2020-2025	20	34	3	1679	146	54.16	2085	80.52	5	9	1	191	47	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
YBK Jaiswal	2023-2025	18	33	2	1615	214*	52.09	2269	71.17	4	9	2	196	36	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
Shubman Gill	2020-2025	34	62	5	2317	269	40.64	3789	61.15	7	7	5	260	35	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
KL Rahul	2022-2025	12	21	2	714	137	37.57	1252	57.02	2	3	0	89	8	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
RA Jadeja	2020-2025	23	34	3	1145	112	36.93	2371	48.29	2	7	3	106	16	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
SS Iyer	2021-2024	11	19	2	609	105	35.82	1029	59.18	1	3	2	71	11	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
RG Sharma	2021-2024	25	45	2	1453	161	33.79	2502	58.07	4	5	2	176	26	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
CA Pujara	2020-2023	16	29	1	923	102*	32.96	2402	38.42	1	7	2	110	2	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
AM Rahane	2020-2023	12	20	1	587	112	30.89	1227	47.84	1	2	1	67	3	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
V Kohli	2021-2025	23	40	2	1160	186	30.52	2267	51.16	2	4	3	115	4	http://i.imgci.com/espncricinfo/guruInvestigate.gif
R Ashwin	2020-2024	26	38	2	848	113

 

 

the discussion was about whether Gill was performing good enough before becoming the captain. Obviously, he has been immense in this series