Shubman Gill's Historic Double Century: A New Era for Indian Cricket

Shubman Gill's extraordinary double century during the Birmingham Test against England has set new records and marked a significant milestone in Indian cricket. Former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu praised Gill's performance, highlighting the impact of his innings. Gill's score of 269 not only places him among the elite Indian cricketers but also makes him the first Indian captain to achieve such a feat in England. This article delves into the details of his historic innings and the records he shattered, showcasing a promising future for Indian cricket.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 5, 2025, 02:03 IST

Gill's Record-Breaking Performance

New Delhi [India], July 4: Former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu praised the newly appointed Test captain Shubman Gill after his remarkable innings during the second day of the Birmingham Test against England at Edgbaston.

On Thursday, Gill delivered an extraordinary performance, scoring 269 runs off 387 balls, setting multiple records in the process.

In a post on his official social media account, Sidhu remarked, “Captain Shubman Gill has ushered in a new generation. From a prince to a king, and a king is one who expands the empire. Focus not just on the 270 runs, but on the impact of those runs. He forged a 203-run partnership with the number 7 and a 103-run partnership with Washington Sundar.”

With his impressive double century, Shubman Gill has significantly enhanced the narrative of Indian cricket history against England in the second Test.

He is now among the elite group of six Indian players to have scored over 250 runs in Tests, joining the ranks of Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Karun Nair, and Virat Kohli. Notably, Gill is the first Indian to achieve this feat outside the Indian subcontinent, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's previous best of 241* against Australia in Sydney in 2004.

Gill's score also places him alongside Rahul Dravid (217 at The Oval in 2002) and Sunil Gavaskar (221 at The Oval in 1979) as the third Indian to score a double century in England.

He made history as the first Indian captain to score a double century against England on their home turf, surpassing Mohammad Azharuddin's 179 at Old Trafford in 1990.

Following his milestone, Gill quickly added more runs, overtaking Sunil Gavaskar's 221 at The Oval in 1979 to set the record for the highest individual score by an Indian in England.

He also joined the ranks of Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, and Rohit Sharma as the fourth Indian to score centuries in both Tests and ODIs.

Additionally, Gill surpassed Kohli's 254* against South Africa in 2019, marking the highest score ever by an Indian captain.

At just 25 years old, he became the third Indian captain to achieve a 150-plus Test score before turning 26, following in the footsteps of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and Sachin Tendulkar.

This marks the second instance of an Indian captain scoring a double century overseas, nine years after Virat Kohli's 200 against the West Indies in 2016.

Gill also made history as the first Asian captain to score a double century in South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia (SENA), with the previous best being 193 by Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan at Lord's in 2011.

He is the second-youngest Indian captain to score a Test double century at the age of 25 years and 298 days, following Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who achieved this at 23 years and 39 days.

In total, there have been 11 double centuries scored by captains in England, with four from the home team and seven from visiting teams. Only South African legend Graeme Smith reached this milestone at a younger age than Gill, with scores of 277 and 259 in consecutive Tests at Edgbaston and Lord's in 2003, the first of which he achieved at 22 years and 175 days.

Remarkably, it took Gill just three innings as captain to reach his double century, tying the record for the quickest in India alongside Sunil Gavaskar (205 vs WI, Wankhede, 1978).