Virat Kohli’s former England legend bats for India’s test captain; Shubman Gill will be his deputy

Restoring Virat Kohli as captain for the forthcoming five-match Test series in England is a daring suggestion made by former England captain Michael Vaughan. Team India is currently without a Test captain after Rohit Sharma cheekily announced his retirement from the format via a social media post.

“Give Virat Kohli the captaincy”: Vaughan’s strong take

Taking to X, Vaughan wrote, “If I was India, I would give the captaincy to Virat for the Test series in England .. Shubman Gill can be his VC for the tour ..”

Particularly at a time when Kohli’s future in red-ball cricket seems uncertain, his statement seems interesting. There are multiple reports that Kohli ideally wanted Test captaincy back and hence BCCI’s denial forced him to think about retirement. Only Kohli and the management would know the truth as of now. However, having Kohli lead once again in the whites, that too, in England would be a proper cinema for fans!

Kohli considering Test retirement, but remains central figure

According to recent reports, Kohli has informed the BCCI about his desire to step away from Test cricket. However, the board is keen on persuading him to continue, especially for the England tour that kickstarts the new World Test Championship cycle. Kohli hasn’t captained since stepping down post the South Africa tour in 2022, but remains a senior figure in the dressing room.

With 9,230 runs in 123 Tests, including 30 hundreds, and a leadership record of 40 wins in 68 Tests, Kohli is India’s most successful captain. Under him, India recorded landmark overseas victories, particularly in Australia and England. India even came close for a first-ever series win in South Africa.

Shubman Gill set to be India’s long-term red-ball captain

Vaughan’s suggestion of pairing Kohli with Shubman Gill also comes at a time when the young opener is being groomed for the future. The selectors are expected to appoint Gill as India’s full-time Test captain soon, with the England series seen as a transitional phase. Gill has been looking like a fine leader during his stint with the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. His on-field aggression seems to be quite reminiscent to Kohli’s.