Former Indian wicket-keeper bat Saba Karim reckons Shubman Gill can be a great ambassador in Test cricket after Virat Kohli. Gill has been leading India in the red-ball format in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle but the team has got mixed results under his leadership.
The flamboyant batter has been in rich vein of form as he scored 732 runs in 16 matches at an average of 45.75 and a strike rate of 163.02 in IPL 2026 and thus played a key role in taking GT to the final of the tournament.
Saba Karim said on Star Sports, “He’s able to realize that he can add so much value as a Test batter. For him to compete and perform with that kind of consistency, it clearly shows that Shubman Gill relishes Test cricket. I think he can be a great ambassador after Virat Kohli.”
On the other hand, former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said Gill’s success in Test cricket will start redefining India in the red-ball format. Gill had amassed 754 runs in five Test matches against England while playing away.
“He had a great series in England. The moment he was made the captain, he went there, turned it on. Even when England had toured to India, he got a hundred at Dharamsala. High-quality player, has worked on keeping his bat close to the pads. His success in Test cricket will really start redefining India’s Test team.”
Furthermore, former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra also highlighted Gill dominated on the England tour and once again the onus will be on him for the upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan.
“He is no longer an opener. He has started batting in the middle order, and that just coincided with him taking over the reins of India’s Test team. He had a phenomenal tour to England, scored a lot of runs. I am just hoping that he gets back to scoring runs in Test cricket. Of course, this is just a solitary game. Just own the format completely because India’s batting, yes, No. 3 is still a question mark,” the cricketer-turned-commentator stated.
The one-off Test between India and Afghanistan will be played from Saturday onwards at New Chandigarh.
