Will Shubman Gill become India’s next staple after Kohli and Sharma?

Shubman Gill has a calmness about his game that feels unnatural. He never swings wildly and won’t force a moment. Instead, Gill watches, waits, and times swings precisely, making you forget how much pressure he faces. Questions are beginning to arise with Sharma nearing his career twilight and Kohli stepping back from test captaincy. 

India’s cricket circles are wondering whether Gill could take the mantle, and the conversations aren’t merely locker room banter. Wider audiences are asking the same thing. Will Shubman Gill become India’s next staple?

“Odds” reactions to Gill entering the spotlight

Sports betting odds tipped Shubman Gill as the next consistent test centurion from India as he faced Australia at Ahmedabad last year. He maintained 3.50 odds to lead the team through the 2025-2027 WTC tournament. 

The odds quickly shortened to 2.20 in favor of him becoming the permanent test captain by the end of 2026 when he was announced as the vice-captain for the England tour. Bookmakers are certainly betting on the future leadership of Gill. 

The CasinoBeats editorial team suggests using betting sites with in-play bets and live stat updates to stay updated with the sudden changes inspired by Gill’s spotlight entrance. Industry expert Wilna van Wyk says these betting sites have live match trackers, event feeds, and live stats available not only on cricket but a wider betting market that includes rugby, football, and more. These features allow fans to quickly access those stats and place bets on the smallest in-game changes. 

Gill’s early performances laid the groundwork

Gill first played test cricket in Australia during the 2020-2021 Border-Gavaskar series. Fans still remember his unexpected 91 at the Gabba, where he used clean drives and sharp footwork to break through Australia’s pace attack. The innings didn’t simply make people notice Gill. He was locked in at that moment. 

Current stats for Shubman Gill show that he has hovered in the 30-50 average range with multiple centuries at home and on foreign soil. Gill’s 110 in Ahmedabad and 128 against Bangladesh in Chattogram showed two very different challenges. 

Gill handled the spin and bounce with grace and ease. He also doesn’t fidget between deliveries or bat nervously. Gill’s calmness at the crease often mirrors a past Tendulkar or Dravid, showing potential for another sound opener.

Familiarity never grows old

Gill’s balance stands out in his batting. He doesn’t exaggerate his backlift, and he rarely falters his head position during a pull shot, which is a shot he plays better than most of today’s openers. Gill keeps his bat close to the pad to leave well outside off stump, especially in Kiwi and English conditions. Gill slipped up when Ravi Shastri and Michael Clarke flattened him after leaving a gap between the bat and pad during the 2025 IPL, a mistake he won’t soon repeat.

The close to the pad batting trait also reminds fans of veterans like Rahul Dravid during his career peak. However, Gill brings a slight aggression closer to what fans remember from Sehwag once he feels set. His ability to play late by delaying his shot until the last moment during swing-heavy conditions differentiates boundaries from an edge.

Comparisons to legends grow louder

Cricket fans don’t always compare anyone to Virat or Sachin. However, Twitter erupted when Shubman Gill walked out of the Lord’s field last week with the MRF-stamped bat that was previously worn by those legends. Gill’s elegance, visible leadership, and growing number of match-turning innings indicate a future that compares to past greats with new standards.

His humility makes him more elegant, as Gill said he had not imagined becoming the test skipper, “not even in his dreams.” Sourav Ganguly, a man who has seen multiple batsmen generations, also recently said that Gill’s patience reminds him of Dravid while his hunger is similar to Kohli. He also has the strike range of Laxman. 

The stakes are bigger since Shubman Gill began preparing to lead India’s batting in the England tests. His performance will redefine how India progresses from the Kohli-Sharma era.

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