Shubman Gill appears to be living through the purple patch every Test cricketer dreams of. Throughout 2024, India’s young captain has been in irresistible form with the bat, showcasing maturity and brilliance well beyond his years. Across eight Tests so far, he has amassed a staggering 979 runs, studded with five superb centuries. As India prepare for a two-match Test series against South Africa, beginning Friday at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Gill is not merely stepping into another contest—he is walking into a corridor lined with potential new records.
Since making his Test captaincy debut against England at Leeds on 20 June, Gill has been the epitome of consistency. In only 13 innings as captain, he has already racked up 946 runs. Should he add a further 54 runs in India’s first innings at Eden Gardens, he will become the fastest Indian Test captain to reach 1,000 runs—surpassing the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, who achieved the feat in 15 innings. The stage is perfectly set for Gill to etch his name into history.
There is more on offer. Virat Kohli currently holds the record for the most Test centuries by an Indian captain in a calendar year with five, achieved in 2017. Gill has matched that tally already—four centuries in the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy and another against the West Indies in Delhi. A single century at Eden will elevate him above Kohli, giving him the outright record.
And the chase doesn’t end there. Two centuries in this South Africa series would see Gill equal Sachin Tendulkar’s record of seven Test hundreds in a year (set in 2010). Three centuries would take him past the Master Blaster—a milestone that would dramatically cement Gill’s place among India’s elite.
Gill also stands on the brink of another major achievement in the World Test Championship. With 2,839 runs in 39 matches, he requires only 161 more to become the first Indian—and the second Asian after Babar Azam—to reach 3,000 WTC runs.
Shubman Gill – Potential Records
| Record Category | Current Record Holder | Record Benchmark | Gill’s Current Status | What Gill Needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fastest to 1,000 runs (India’s Test captain) | Sunil Gavaskar | 1,000 runs in 15 innings | 946 runs in 13 innings | 54 more runs |
| Most Test centuries in a calendar year (Indian captain) | Virat Kohli | 5 centuries (2017) | 5 centuries | 1 more century |
| Most Test centuries in a year for India | Sachin Tendulkar | 7 centuries (2010) | 5 centuries | 2 to equal, 3 to break |
| 3,000 runs in World Test Championship | Babar Azam (Asia) | First to 3,000 WTC runs | 2,839 runs | 161 runs |