"Walking into lion's den…": Dinesh Karthik feels Shubman Gill hasn't realised enormity of being India test captain

Shubman Gill will lead India in the upcoming five-match test series against England.

Indian Cricket Team are set to clash with the England Cricket Team in a five-match test series starting June 20. Shubman Gill, the new test captain of India, is all set to lead the team in the challenging tour that comprises five test matches.

Following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the test cricket last month, Gill was named as the new test skipper by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The right-handed batsman will have the reins of the side in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle, which begins with the ENG vs IND test series.

Notably, Sharma and Virat Kohli’s retirements from the longest format of the game has left massive void to be filled in the batting department. Moreover, Gill has no experience of leading the side in the tests as Jasprit Bumrah was the vice-captain under Sharma’s captaincy.

Shubman Gill has not realised enormity of being a Test captain of India: Dinesh Karthik

During a podcast on Sky Sports Cricket, former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik revealed his views on Gill’s captaincy. Karthik feels Gill has not realised the enormity of being a test captain of India.

“I really don’t think he has realized the enormity of what it means to be a test captain for India as of now. He’s walking into the lion’s den. Coming to England as a cricketing nation is not easy. There has been many a team with superstars who have come in and have found it really hard,” Karthik said.

The former Indian wicket-keeper also asserted that the only positive for Gill is that England’s bowling attack is vulnerable due to the absence of key bowlers. Notably, Mark Wood is set to miss at least the first three games, while Jofra Archer is unavailable for the first test due to a thumb injury. Gus Atkinson is recovering from a hamstring injury.

“Luckily for Shubman Gill, the England bowling attack is very vulnerable. That is the only positive I see, they’re going to be put under pressure with the batting. When I say bat, I mean England batting will definitely put the Indian team under pressure, but the bowling is an area that is still a work in progress for England, and that could very well play into India’s hands,” the 40-year-old added.

Meanwhile, the first test between England and India will be played at Headingley in Leeds from June 20 to 24. The series will conclude with the fifth test at The Oval in London from July 31 to August 4. India have not registered a test series victory in England since 2007, when they clinched a 1-0 win in a three-match series under captain Rahul Dravid.

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