LONDON – Indian captain Shubman Gill continued his extraordinary run of form during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, creating multiple records on Day 1 of the fifth and final Test against England at The Oval.
After early dismissals of openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, Gill walked into bat in challenging conditions in the 16th over. Despite overcast skies and a swinging ball, he steadied the Indian innings before lunch, scoring 15 runs off 23 deliveries. Though he was eventually dismissed for 21 runs, the 25-year-old had already etched his name into cricket history.
World Record: Most Runs by a Visiting Captain in a Test Series
With his first run of the day, Gill surpassed Sir Gary Sobers’ 1966 record of 722 runs to become the highest run-scorer by a visiting captain in a Test series. Gill now has 743 runs in just nine innings at an astounding average of 82.55, including four centuries—another record for visiting captains.
Most Runs by a Visiting Captain in a Test Series
| Player | Team | Country Visited | Runs | Matches | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shubman Gill | India | England | 743 | 5 | 2025 |
| Gary Sobers | West Indies | England | 722 | 5 | 1966 |
| Graeme Smith | South Africa | South Africa | 714 | 5 | 2003 |
| Leonard Hutton | England | West Indies | 677 | 5 | 1954 |
| Clive Lloyd | West Indies | India | 636 | 5 | 1974–75 |
Equaling Legends: Most Centuries by a Captain in a Series
Gill’s four centuries in this series also tie him with two of the game’s greatest icons—Sunil Gavaskar and Don Bradman—for the most centuries by a captain in a single Test series.
Surpasses Gavaskar: Most Runs by an Indian Captain in a Test Series
Gill has now overtaken Sunil Gavaskar’s 732-run tally from the 1978–79 series against the West Indies, setting a new record for most runs by an Indian captain in a Test series.
🇮🇳 Most Runs by an Indian Captain in a Test Series
| Player | Opponent | Host Country | Runs | Matches | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shubman Gill | England | England | 743 | 5 | 2025 |
| Sunil Gavaskar | West Indies | India | 732 | 6 | 1978–79 |
| Virat Kohli | England | India | 655 | 5 | 2016 |
| Virat Kohli | Sri Lanka | India | 610 | 3 | 2017 |
| Virat Kohli | England | England | 593 | 5 | 2018 |
Chasing Bradman’s All-Time Record
With one more innings potentially left in the series, Gill now has his sights set on the ultimate milestone—Don Bradman’s record of 810 runs, the most by any captain in a Test series.
If Gill continues his phenomenal form, the Indian skipper could finish this tour not just as the best visiting captain, but as the greatest Test captain in terms of batting performance in a single series.
