The upcoming five-match Test series against England will see a significant shift in Shubman Gill’s role. He is set to captain the Indian team and, more notably, bat at the crucial No. 4 position. The series will commence at Headingley, Leeds.
Analyst Aakash Chopra commented on the unusual nature of this decision. He observed that it’s uncommon in Test cricket for a player to voluntarily move down the order. Gill has primarily batted as an opener or at No. 3 in his 32-Test appearances.
With Virat Kohli’s retirement opening up the No. 4 spot, Gill has taken the initiative to fill the void. On his YouTube channel, Chopra highlighted how rare it is for players, especially openers, to move down the order in red-ball cricket. He mentioned Gill’s unique career path, transitioning from an opener to a No. 4 batsman.
Chopra further noted the trend in Indian cricket where players often move up the batting order over time. He cited Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, who began in lower positions before establishing themselves at No. 4. In contrast, players like Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma remained openers throughout their Test careers.
He added that while players usually advance in the batting order, the move from opener to middle-order is exceptional. He couldn’t recall such a transition by a player in the Indian team in recent years.