Shubman Gill’s time playing for Glamorgan three seasons ago painted a picture of a relaxed individual. His easy-going nature was highlighted when he reportedly left the keys in the ignition of his brand new volvo, provided by the club. The car was gone after training, leading to some lighthearted teasing from teammates. Gill,then 23,joined the team for three September County Championship matches in 2022,scoring 92 on debut in Cardiff and 119 at Hove.

“when he first turned up to nets,you knew he was just a class above everyone else,” said Sam Northeast. “I don’t want to put down other overseas players I’ve played with over the years but he was on a different level to a lot of them. It was just the amount of time he had, the shots he possessed, and the ability to place the ball where he wanted. We knew he was a star in the making.”

Northeast added, “As a person, he was extremely relaxed, and I think you probably have to be that way to deal with the scrutiny which comes with playing for India. He was a little bit in the clouds, actually. A little bit ‘are you here? Are you with us?’ The closest I’ve seen to that is probably captaining Kagiso Rabada at Kent, who was very similar. Just no stress.”

Like many Indian players in county cricket, Gill enjoyed the relative anonymity of Cardiff, where he could walk without being asked for selfies. Despite the stint being transactional, with the club aiming for promotion and Gill seeking betterment against the red Dukes ball, he has maintained contact with several teammates.

“It was striking how good he was and very educated,” said Mark Wallace.”They call them cricket badgers these days. He knew the records of the players he was up against, the coaches too. Alan wilkins alerted us to his possible availability and then it was a case of contacting his agent, realising it wouldn’t cost a king’s ransom, and getting it sorted.”

Glamorgan didn’t achieve promotion that season, but Gill’s career trajectory has as soared. Following Rohit Sharma’s Test retirement and Jasprit Bumrah’s workload concerns, head coach Gautam Gambhir appointed Gill as captain. He will now face a challenging five-Test series in England, where India hasn’t won since 2007.

This promotion was anticipated.Born in Fazilka, Punjab, Gill moved to mohali at eight for better facilities. Nicknamed “Prince,” he won the Under-19s world Cup in 2018, gained experience in the Indian Premier League, and holds the second-highest ODI average (59.04). It seemed unavoidable he would lead his country.

At 25, Gill is India’s fifth-youngest Test captain. He has captained Gujarat Titans in the IPL, been a part of five T20Is, and led an India A tour.

Though, with a Test average of 35 from 32 matches, including four centuries in India and one in Bangladesh, his red-ball record has gaps. In England, he averages 14 from two World Test Championship finals and one match in 2022.India has chosen a captain who is still developing.

Last year, after England took a 1-0 lead in Hyderabad, a second-innings duck caused Gill’s Test average to dip below 30. According to the Indian Express, Rahul Dravid considered sending him back to domestic cricket, but a second-innings 104 in Vizag changed his mind.

By the end of India’s 4-1 series victory, Gill scored another century in Dharamshala. He also had some words with Jimmy Anderson, reportedly telling him to retire. While Anderson dismissed him for his 699th Test wicket, Jos buttler predicted that Gill would combine Sharma’s calmness with Kohli-like aggression.

The road ahead is challenging. India enters Friday’s first Test after six losses and one win in their last eight games. With recent retirements, the team is in transition. Gill,appointed captain earlier than expected,must lead with his batting and adapt quickly.