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BCCI told to rethink Shubman Gill captaincy plans after Kolkata loss sparks warning: ‘He is under big pressure’
Shubman Gill’s relentless workload since September finally took a toll on the India captain during the Kolkata Test against South Africa
Shubman Gill hasn’t had a break since September. After the Asia Cup in Dubai, he returned to India for the two-Test series against the West Indies, followed by the Australia tour, which featured three ODIs and five T20Is. While other players were rotated across formats, Gill remained a constant presence and then came back home for the opening Test against South Africa, where the workload finally caught up with him.
On Day 2 of the match at Eden Gardens, he suffered neck spasms, for which he was taken to the hospital immediately. He did not return to action for the remainder of the match. With the Indian Test captain absent, the hosts were bowled out for 93 in their chase of 124 as South Africa sealed a 30-run win inside three days for their first Test victory in India in 15 years.
Speaking on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan, former India batter Abhinav Mukund urged the BCCI to reconsider their grand plans of naming Gill as India's all-format captain, as he reckoned that the pressure on the youngster has reached a critical point. In a straightforward message to the selectors, Mukund called for split captaincy.
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“I think Shubman has it in him to become an all-format captain, but I don't think India should have an all-format captain anymore,” said Mukund, who has played seven Tests.
“Split captaincy is a smart move. Shubman Gill has been given the responsibility to take on the mantle in Tests and he will be under big pressure.”
“This is a crucial series,” he noted, “and the England series was a big confidence booster for India.”
Earlier last month, Gill was named the new ODI captain, keeping the 2027 World Cup in mind, which further fueled speculation that the Indian board is ready to hand over the T20I duties to him as well after the end of the 2026 T20 World Cup. The 25-year-old was reinstated as the vice-captain in the shortest international format in September before the start of the Asia Cup.
In the latest developments, Gill was discharged from the hospital on Sunday, shortly after India's defeat in the opening Test. However, the team management has yet to decide whether he will participate in the second Test match of the series, where the Proteas aim to seal their second-ever series win on Indian soil.
