Shubman Gill has been named India's Test and ODI captain. On June 17, 2026, he scored 154 against Afghanistan, his ninth ODI century.

What happened?

Gill's ascent accelerated at a pace the format had rarely seen from an Indian batsman. He reached 1,000 ODI runs in just 19 innings.

Why it matters for Shubman Gill

He broke South African legend Hashim Amla's world record, reaching 2,500 runs in 50 innings. Gill became the youngest player in ODI history to score a double century, smashing 208 against New Zealand in January 2023.

What comes next?

Gill's debut Test captaincy series against England in 2025 was the moment the royal epithet began to feel genuinely insufficient. His 269 at Edgbaston was the highest score by any Indian Test captain in history.

Gill was already Test captain, and the dual appointment confirmed that India's cricketing architecture was now being built around one man. He backed up his 269 with 161 in the second innings of the same match.

The numbers that define a generation, Gill made him the first batter in 148 years of Test history to score both 250 and 150 in the same Test. Yuvraj Singh dubbed the youngster the Prince back in 2023.

Longtime IPL commentator Aakash Chopra remarked that the young opener was no lesser than the king. With Sachin already being called the God of Cricket and Virat Kohli being the King, Gill's nickname appeared to give him more justice than critics assumed.

Gill carried the elegance of a natural from the moment he debuted for India in 2019. Born in Fazilka and moved to Mohali aged eight for better facilities, Gill had the nickname Prince since his earliest days.

The "Prince" nickname has clung to Shubman Gill since his earliest days, even appearing on his bat stickers. Gill's 154 against Afghanistan on June 17, 2026, powered India to their first 400+ score in nearly three years.

Gill's ninth ODI century, 154 against Afghanistan, was scored on June 17, 2026. He was just 23 when he became the youngest player in ODI history to score a double century.

Gill's debut Test captaincy series against England in 2025 was a significant moment in his career. His 269 at Edgbaston was the highest score by any Indian Test captain in history.

The BCCI handed Gill the ODI captaincy with an eye on the 2027 World Cup. He was already Test captain, and the dual appointment confirmed that India's cricketing architecture was now being built around one man.

Gill's ascent accelerated at a pace the format had rarely seen from an Indian batsman. He reached 1,000 ODI runs in just 19 innings, the fastest any Indian had achieved the milestone, overtaking Kohli.

Gill broke South African legend Hashim Amla's world record, reaching 2,500 runs in 50 innings. He became the youngest player in ODI history to score a double century, smashing 208 against New Zealand in January 2023.

Gill's 269 at Edgbaston was the highest score by any Indian Test captain in history. He backed up his 269 with 161 in the second innings of the same match.

The numbers that define a generation, Gill made him the first batter in 148 years of Test history to score both 250 and 150 in the same Test.