CHENNAI: In the first week of August, Shubman Gill was flying close to the Sun but the halo was a celebration of the batter and the leader he had become. Having been appointed as Test captain following high-profile retirements, India's newly minted No. 4 put up Bradmanesque numbers en route to skippering the side to a fine 2-2 draw in the five-match series.
He was also appointed as captain of the one-day set-up, a recognition that Gill was now Indian cricket's top dog, the public face of one of the world's richest sporting bodies, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). That, though, was August. Five months later, Gill faces his first big test since he was handed the keys to one of the most high-profile gigs in the world of elite sport.
After overseeing an expected 2-0 Test series win over West Indies, a brace of bizarre injuries has seen him lose some of the light that was around him. A neck injury during the first Test against South Africa saw him being ruled out of the series, a series the hosts lost 0-2. He recovered in time for the ODI series Down Under but less than impressive returns (10, 9 and 24) coupled with more below par performances in the subsequent T20I series (4, 0 and 28) before a toe injury forced him to miss more cricket.
It resulted in him losing his spot in the T20I set-up ahead of the World Cup next month. This is new ground for both employer and employee — the Test captain, irrespective of formats, have always been a part of the furniture in the shorter formats going back the last 12 years or so — and that's why this next chapter in the life of Gill promises to be fascinating.
The 26-year-old was not considered for next month's T20 World Cup despite leading India in the longer formats. He has played 36 T20Is for India, scoring 869 runs at an average of 28.03 with a strike rate of 138.59.
"I am where I have to be and whatever is written in my destiny no one can take that from me," Gill said when asked about his exclusion from the T20I set-up during the pre series press conference on Saturday. "A player always believes he will try his best for the country and the selectors have taken their decision. I always try to be in the moment and it makes life simpler. The last time we played ODIs against New Zealand, I made my debut and I always cherish that," he said.
"I don't think any format is easy, if you look at it, the Indian team hasn't won an ODI World Cup since 2011. It's easy to say but no format is easy and it requires a lot of effort and determination," he said.
Gill, now 26, has also, because of status as the face of the side, played a lot in 2025. Not counting any domestic games — including T20 franchise games — he has played 35 games for India since the start of 2025 across three continents. These include 26 white-ball games and nine Tests. When you extrapolate that, that's more than 100 days' worth of planning, preparation and recovery comprising of match day minus one, post match day debrief and team meetings. It can very quickly be unsustainable. It's something he addressed.
"Maybe it would be easier to have a little loose calendar," he said. "I don't think in 2016, 2017, 2018, there was a time when if you're coming from another country (back) to India, you're playing a match on the fourth day. Maybe it's easier to play a match on the 10th day. Maybe it's easier to play a match on the 12th day. It gives a bit of breather for the players as well, and it gives you that time to prepare and feel confident for the next series."
To give you an example of what his calendar has been like, he featured in the final of the T20 Asia Cup on September 28. Seventy-two hours later, he was on the eve of a Test series against West Indies.
After a rare break, Gill will look to remind everybody of his rare gifts starting Sunday.