Fact Check: Did Virat Kohli congratulate Shubman Gill on becoming India’s new Test captain?

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Ajit Agarkar, Chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Men’s Senior Selection Committee, has officially announced that Shubman Gill will lead India in their upcoming five-match Test series against England.

At just 25 years of age, Gill becomes one of the youngest players in recent times to be entrusted with India’s Test captaincy. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been named vice-captain, while senior fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been excluded from the leadership group. Although Gill has limited experience in red-ball leadership, he has shown promising signs of maturity in white-ball formats. He recently led a young Indian squad in a five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe and has been captaining the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after Hardik Pandya‘s transfer to Mumbai Indians. Gill has also served as vice-captain in various ODIs and T20Is, positioning himself as a future leader across formats.

Reports have surfaced suggesting that Gill might also bat at No.4 in the upcoming Test series, a role vacated by Virat Kohli, who announced his retirement from Test cricket earlier this month. While no official statement has confirmed Gill’s batting position, the idea of him stepping into such a crucial middle-order role reflects the selectors’ confidence in his technique and mental fortitude.

Kohli’s departure leaves a significant void, not only as a batter but also in terms of leadership and experience. India will be banking on Gill’s composure under pressure and his ability to anchor the innings in challenging England conditions. Whether Gill opens or bats in the middle order, his dual role as captain and key batter makes this one of the most important phases of his career.

Also READ: Here’s the full list of India’s Test captains till date ft. Shubman Gill

Meanwhile, a viral screenshot is doing the rounds on social media, claiming that Virat Kohli posted an Instagram story congratulating Shubman Gill on being named India’s Test captain. The message reads:

“There’s potential and then there’s Gill. Go on and lead the next generation. God bless you,” Kohli wrote.

However, a thorough investigation into the circulating rumors reveals that this Instagram story was not posted in response to Gill’s Test captaincy appointment. The screenshot is from May 2023, when Kohli had praised Gill after he scored his maiden IPL century, a blistering 101 off 58 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

At that time, Gill had become the only cricketer to score a century in all formats, Tests, ODIs, T20Is, and the IPL, in the same calendar year (2023). Kohli had acknowledged this remarkable feat by posting the same story, but it was not related to his captaincy. The confusion arose after the same image began recirculating on social media amid Gill’s elevation to Test captain, misleading many into thinking it was a new post.

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