Test series win in England bigger prize than IPL, says India captain Gill

LONDON: Shubman Gill believes captaining India to a Test series victory in England would be a bigger achievement than winning the Indian Premier League.

Gill is set for his first assignment since succeeding Rohit Sharma as Test skipper as he leads a new-look side in the first of five matches against Ben Stokes´ England at Headingley this week.

Test cricket, for so long the pinnacle of the game, has to compete with T20 franchise leagues around the world and players have multiple commitments.

Gill, who won the IPL title with Gujarat Giants in 2022, still views Tests, and especially series wins outside of Asia, as the ultimate achievement.

“You don´t get many opportunities as a captain to be able to come to England -- maybe two, if you´re the best of your generation, maybe three -- and you get to have a crack at the IPL every year,” the batsman told a pre-match press conference in Leeds on Thursday.

“In my opinion winning a Test series in England, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are bigger.” India will be without the retired trio of Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin as they aim for a first Test series win in England since 2007.

Gill did not reveal his team for the first Test at Headingley but confirmed he would step in to Kohli´s usual position of four in the batting order.

Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant are big-name players but Gill said less experienced members of the India squad were unburdened by past failures in England. “A lot of people talk about us not having experience but there are positives that we don´t really have any baggage coming to England because not all of the players have been to England,” he said.