Shubman Gill appears to be living through the golden chapter of his Test-cricket career. Across the whole of 2024, India’s young captain has been in sublime form with the bat, producing performances that have thrust him into conversations usually reserved for legends. In just eight Tests this year, Gill has piled up an extraordinary 979 runs, including five majestic centuries.
As India prepare to host South Africa for a two-match Test series—beginning on Friday at Kolkata’s iconic Eden Gardens—the 25-year-old isn’t merely facing another competitive challenge. He is standing on the brink of rewriting multiple long-standing records held by Sunil Gavaskar, Virat Kohli, and Sachin Tendulkar.
Since making his captaincy debut against England at Leeds on 20 June, Gill has been a model of consistency. He has already amassed 946 runs in only 13 innings as skipper. Should he score at least 54 runs in India’s first innings at Eden Gardens, he will surpass the legendary Sunil Gavaskar to become the fastest Indian Test captain to reach 1,000 runs—a milestone Gavaskar achieved in 15 innings. Gill, remarkably, could better it by two whole innings.
There’s more. Virat Kohli’s record for most Test centuries by an Indian captain in a calendar year stands at five (set in 2017). Gill has already equalled that tally—four of those centuries came in the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy, with the other scored against West Indies in Delhi. One more century in this series and Gill will stand alone at the top.
If he manages two centuries in the South Africa series, he will match Sachin Tendulkar’s Indian record of seven Test centuries in a year (2010). Three centuries would see him eclipse the Master Blaster outright—an achievement that would send shockwaves across the cricketing world.
Gill is also within touching distance of a significant World Test Championship milestone. With 2,839 runs in 39 matches, he needs just 161 more to become the first Indian—and only the second Asian after Babar Azam—to reach 3,000 WTC runs.
Given his current form, few would bet against him breaking several of these records before the year is out.
Shubman Gill – Potential Records
| Type of Record | Current Record Holder | Record Details | Gill’s Current Status | What Gill Needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fastest 1,000 runs as India’s Test captain | Sunil Gavaskar | 15 innings | 946 runs in 13 innings | 54 more runs |
| Most Test centuries in a year as India’s 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 beat |
| 3,000 World Test Championship runs | Babar Azam (Asia) | First to 3,000 | 2,839 runs | 161 more runs |
