Shubman Gill began his Test captaincy journey with exactly the kind of innings India needed from its new leader. For cricket followers using Playinexch, the milestone remains an important moment in India’s transition after the Test retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Gill scored his first century as India captain against England at Headingley in June 2025, becoming only the fifth Indian to make a hundred in his first Test as captain.
Gill Joined a Rare List of Indian Captains
The ICC confirmed that Gill joined an exclusive group of Indian batters who scored centuries in their first Test as captain.
The five players are:
- Vijay Hazare vs England, Delhi, 1951
- Sunil Gavaskar vs New Zealand, Auckland, 1976
- Dilip Vengsarkar vs West Indies, Delhi, 1987
- Virat Kohli vs Australia, Adelaide, 2014
- Shubman Gill vs England, Leeds, 2025
For Playinexch Login readers, Kohli’s presence on that list gives Gill’s achievement extra significance. Kohli also began his Test captaincy chapter with a century, making 115 against Australia in Adelaide in 2014.
Gill followed a similar path more than a decade later.
How Gill Built His Headingley Hundred
Gill arrived at the crease after India had lost KL Rahul and debutant Sai Sudharsan. England had created an opening, but Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal changed the direction of the innings.
Gill finished the opening day unbeaten on 127 and eventually made 147 before being dismissed on day two. India went on to score 471, with Rishabh Pant also making 134.
For Play Exchange followers, several aspects of Gill’s innings stood out:
- He absorbed pressure immediately after wickets.
- He maintained a positive scoring rate.
- He handled England’s seam attack confidently.
- He converted his start into a substantial score.
- He showed composure despite the added responsibility of captaincy.
Why the Century Mattered More Than an Ordinary Hundred
Gill had already scored five Test centuries before Headingley, but this one arrived under completely different pressure.
India had recently entered a new red-ball era following the departures of experienced players including Rohit, Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin. Gill was only 25 when he took over the Test captaincy and was immediately asked to lead a relatively young side in England.
For a Playinexch ID user following India’s transition, the hundred answered one of the biggest early questions: would captaincy affect Gill’s batting?
His first innings suggested the responsibility could instead bring out another level in his game.
The Move to No. 4 Added Another Layer
Gill also moved into the important No. 4 batting position previously associated with Kohli.
That created unavoidable comparisons. Reuters noted at Headingley that Gill was stepping into the space left by Kohli while simultaneously carrying the responsibility of captaining the team. He responded by producing his first Test century outside Asia.
For Playinexch Online ID readers, that made the innings symbolic as well as statistically important.
India were not simply replacing a captain. They were trying to rebuild the central structure of their Test batting order.
Gill Proved the Hundred Was Not a One-Off
What happened after Headingley made the achievement even more impressive.
In the second Test at Edgbaston, Gill produced a remarkable 269 in the first innings and 161 in the second. His aggregate of 430 runs in the match placed him among the greatest individual Test performances in history.
By the end of the England series, Reuters reported that Gill had scored four centuries during his first seven weeks as Test captain and averaged 75.40 across the series.
For Play Exchange followers, Headingley therefore became the beginning of a much larger captaincy story rather than an isolated milestone.
What Gill Shared With Virat Kohli
The comparison with Kohli is not about suggesting their captaincy careers are identical.
Instead, both produced centuries immediately after taking on one of cricket’s most demanding leadership jobs.
Their early captaincy hundreds shared several qualities:
- Both came away from home.
- Both arrived against major Test opponents.
- Both were scored under significant leadership pressure.
- Both showed that captaincy did not immediately reduce their batting impact.
- Both became part of an exclusive Indian record list.
For Playinexch Login users, Gill’s challenge is now longevity. One strong series can establish authority, but successful Test captaincy is measured over years.
Why Gill’s Batting Remains Crucial to India
Gill is still central to India’s current Test plans and is leading the side in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle. India’s 2026 Sri Lanka squad is also being led by Gill.
For Playinexch Online ID followers, his dual responsibility remains clear. India need him to make tactical decisions as captain while continuing to provide major runs from the middle order.
That combination is what made the Headingley hundred such an important starting point.
Conclusion
Shubman Gill’s 147 at Headingley was much more than another entry in his century column. It was his first Test innings as India captain, his first Test hundred outside Asia and the performance that placed him alongside Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar and Virat Kohli.
For Playinexch readers, the innings represented the beginning of India’s new Test leadership era. Gill then strengthened that impression with an extraordinary series in England, showing that captaincy could coexist with his ambitions as one of India’s leading batters.
FAQs
When did Shubman Gill score his first Test hundred as India captain?
Gill reached the milestone against England at Headingley in June 2025 during his first Test as captain.
How many runs did Gill score at Headingley?
He scored 147 in India’s first innings.
Which Indian captains scored centuries in their first Test as captain?
Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill have achieved the feat.
Was this Gill’s first Test century outside Asia?
Yes. His Headingley hundred was his first Test century outside Asia.
Did Gill score more centuries during the England series?
Yes. He finished his first England series as captain with four centuries, including 269 and 161 in the same Edgbaston Test.
