Shubman Gill is making a bold move for the upcoming five-match Test series against England. He will be captaining the team and, surprisingly, taking on the No. 4 batting position. This decision has led to discussions among cricket experts, with the first match taking place in Headingley, Leeds.
Aakash Chopra, a former cricketer and commentator, shared his perspective on this uncommon change. He mentioned that it is unusual in Test cricket for players to willingly drop down the batting order, especially when they are openers. Gill has predominantly opened or batted at No. 3 in his 32 Test matches.
With Virat Kohli’s retirement creating a significant opening at No. 4, Gill has decided to fill the position himself. Chopra, speaking on his YouTube channel, highlighted how rare it is for players to shift down the order after opening. He noted Gill’s unique journey from being an opener to now landing at the No. 4 position.
Chopra pointed out that in Indian cricket, it is common for batters to climb up the order as their careers progress. He used examples such as Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, who both started lower down the order and eventually took on the No. 4 role. In contrast, players like Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma were promoted to open and remained there.
He concluded that players generally move up the order, but going from opener to middle-order is rare. He couldn’t recall many instances of this happening in the Indian team in recent years.