Shubman Gill one century away from breaking Virat Kohlis record in South Africa Test series
Team India skipper Shubman Gill will be eyeing Virat Kohli's elite record in the upcoming Test series against South Africa at home.
Team India skipper Shubman Gill is on the cusp of breaking Virat Kohli's elite record in the upcoming Test series against South Africa at home. India will lock horns with South Africa in a two-match Test series, starting Friday, November 14. The first Test will be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, followed by the second game at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.
Gill, who recently faced criticism for his ordinary performances in T20Is for India after replacing Sanju Samson as an opener, will be hoping to continue his fine form when he returns to the Test setup.
Gill, who replaced Rohit Sharma as India's Test captain earlier this year, has enjoyed a remarkable run in the whites in 2025. In his debut Test series as captain in England, Gill amassed an impressive 754 runs in five matches to shatter records and finish as the highest run-getter in the series.
He scored four centuries in the five Tests on his way to shattering the record for most runs by an Asian and an Indian batter in a Test series in England. Gill continued his fine form in the Test series against West Indies at home, with a century and a half-century in the two-match series.
Gill now has a chance to end the year on a high by breaking another major record held by Virat Kohli in India's upcoming Test series against South Africa at home. The Indian captain needs only one hundred against the Proteas to claim the record for most Test centuries by an Indian captain in a calendar year.
Kohli currently holds the record with five centuries to his name as captain in the year 2018. He also slammed five Test tons as India's captain in 2017. Gill has a chance to better his record with six centuries in a year as India's Test skipper. Gill currently has five centuries to his name as captain in 2025.
Indian captains with most Test centuries in an year:
Shubman Gill - 5 centuries, 2025*
Virat Kohli - 5 centuries - 2018
Virat Kohli - 5 centuries - 2017
Shubman Gill eyes Ricky Ponting's all-time record
Gill will also be looking to break Australia legend Ricky Ponting's record for most Test centuries by a captain in a calendar year. Ponting, who smashed seven hundreds for Australia in Test cricket in 2006, holds the record for the most Test tons by a captain in a year. Gill needs only two centuries against South Africa to equal his record and three to break it.
Most Test tons by a captain in a year:
Ricky Ponting - 7
Ricky Ponting, Graeme Smith, Steve Smith, Joe Root - 6
Don Bradman, Allan Border, Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene, Michael Clarke, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill - 5
The South Africa Test series is a crucial one for India in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle, as a series victory will help them gain a commanding position in the race for the WTC final in 2027. In their first assignment in the ongoing cycle, India drew the five-match series 2-2 against England before beating West Indies 2-0 at home.
India are currently in the third spot on the WTC 2025-27 points table and will be hoping to displace Sri Lanka from the second spot by clinching the two-match Test series against the Proteas.