Former India spinner Abhinav Mukund has weighed in on the Cricket Board of India’s growing inclination to hand over the reins to Shubman Gill across formats, saying India should move away from the idea of having an all-format captain.
Amid the board’s push to promote Gill, who has already been named captain in Tests and ODIs and is currently vice-captain in T20Is, Mukund argued that Indian cricket would benefit more from a split leadership model.
Gill was officially handed the ODI captaincy ahead of the three-match series in Australia on Saturday, reinforcing the belief that he is being groomed as Another leader of India in all formats once Suryakumar Yadav’s tenure in T20Is ends. Suryakumar is 35 and many in the system expect the transition to management to take place before or immediately after the 2026 FIFA T20 World Cup.
The selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar and working closely with head coach Gautam Gambhir, took a long-term approach and gave Gill ample time to settle into his leadership duties. However, the road ahead remains challenging for both Gill and Suryakumar as the new Indian captain structure emphasizes form and consistency.
India’s approach contrasts with teams like Australia and England, who have adopted split captaincy to manage workload and maintain clarity across formats. While Suryakumar currently leads the T20I side, Gill is expected to eventually take over that role as well.
Mukund, who played seven Tests for India and became a prominent voice in broadcast cricket, acknowledged Gill’s leadership qualities but argued that a split captaincy was the way forward. “I think Shubman has it in him to be an all-format captain, but I don’t think India should have an all-format captain,” Mukund said on Doordarshan’s The Great Indian Cricket Show.
“Split captaincy is a smart move. Shubman Gill has been given the responsibility to take the mantle in Tests and will be under a lot of pressure.”
Mukund pointed to the upcoming home Test series against South Africa as a significant challenge for Gill, especially on the back of India’s 3-0 defeat to New Zealand last year.
“This is a key series,” he said. “The England series was a huge confidence booster for India. Back home everyone expects India to win – no questions asked.”
India have already stumbled in the current series, suffering a 30-run loss in the first Test against England. Gill, who sustained a neck injury in that match, is likely to be ruled out of the second Test in Guwahati.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
November 17, 2025
