Shubman Gill, the new captain of Indian cricket, has taken over from legends Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Each of these three batters assumed the captaincy at a different point in their careers and under different conditions.
Virat Kohli took over as captain in December 2014, following MS Dhoni’s retirement in the middle of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Kohli smashed two century in his first Test as captain in Adelaide, scoring 115 and 141. Despite India narrowly losing the match by 48 runs, Kohli’s performance in that series was widely praised.
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma assumed the post in March 2022, following Kohli’s decision to step down. His debut as Test captain came in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Mohali. The opener had already become a full-time white-ball captain, and he was expected to carry that over to the longer game. However, his debut innings as skipper yielded only 29 runs. However, the hosts won the match convincingly by an innings and 222 runs.
Shubman Gill is the most recent addition to the list of Indian Test captains, taking over after Rohit retired. The 25-year-old made his captaincy debut against England in June 2025 at Headingley, Leeds, making an impressive 147 in the first innings. However, he only managed eight in the second innings, while his breakthrough century as captain put India in a great position.
Virat Kohli vs Rohit Sharma vs Shubman Gill: Batting Comparison
| Batter | Match | Year | Venue | Score |
| Virat Kohli | India vs Australia | 2014 | Adelaide | 115 runs &141 runs |
| Rohit Sharma | India vs Sri Lanka | 2022 | Mohali | 29 runs |
| Shubman Gill | India vs England | 2025 | Leeds | 147 runs & 8 runs |
While Gill has just recently taken up the role of Test captain, Kohli and Rohit have had very contrasting experiences in this format. Kohli led India in 68 Tests, accumulating 5864 runs at an average of 54.80, including 20 hundreds. Under his leadership, India achieved significant milestones, including historic victories in Australia and a dominant run at home. He also introduced an aggressive style of play and a fitness revolution. Despite not winning an ICC title, Kohli guided India to the World Test Championship final in 2021.
Rohit’s tenure was shorter. He captained India in 24 Tests, scoring 1254 runs at an average of 30.58, including four hundreds. During his tenure, the squad advanced to the WTC Final in 2023 before losing to Australia. His final year in the post produced unsatisfactory results, including a historic domestic whitewash and a series loss to Australia in the Border Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Notably, both of these players have announced their retirement in May 2025, with plans to play primarily in the 50-over format.
Kohli & Rohit Captaincy records
| Player | Matches | Runs | Centuries | Wins | Losses | Draw |
| Virat Kohli | 68 | 5864 | 20 | 40 | 17 | 11 |
| Rohit Sharma | 24 | 1254 | 4 | 12 | 9 | 3 |
Who is better Captain Batter- Virat Kohli vs Rohit Sharma vs Shubman Gill
Lastly, Gill, before taking over the role, had played 32 Tests, scoring 1893 runs at an average of 35.05. Looking at their Test records before becoming captain, Rohit had the highest average of 46.60, followed by Kohli’s 43.08, while Gill trailed with 35.05. Home and away records show that Kohli was the most balanced player, averaging 50.52 at home and 39.12 away. Rohit’s numbers dipped from 77.22 at home to 31.26 away.
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