Shubman Gill set to become first Indian captain to register major milestone in WTC history

India captain

with in red-ball cricket. The 26-year-old has scored 950 runs in eight matches in the ongoing World Test Championship and is currently the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament behind Joe Root and Harry Brook. Against Sri Lanka, in the opening match of the two-match series in Galle, the youngster will aim to keep up with the momentum as he is also closing in on two major milestones.

The Punjab batter needs 50 runs to become the first Indian captain to score 1,000 runs in a single WTC cycle. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma have previously crossed the mark in a WTC cycle, but none of them achieved it while leading India. That sets up the perfect opportunity for Gill to become the first Indian to score 3,000 runs in WTC history. He currently has 2,843 runs in the tournament. The Punjab batter needs another 157 runs to reach the landmark.

Gill may still be waiting for his first Test series win as captain in WTC, but he is pleased with the way the team has progressed under his leadership. India drew 2-2 in his first series in charge against England before losing to South Africa at home. Gill missed a significant part of that series due to a neck injury.

India then recorded a comfortable win over Afghanistan in a non-WTC series at home. For Gill, though, the bigger picture remains the progress the team has made over the past year.

"I am very comfortable with the captaincy role and I think the way we have been, you know, progressing in the past one year. It has been very pleasing to see from my perspective. And I think we are taking all the right steps in the right direction,” Gill said in the pre-match press conference.

Gill is also aware that India have work to do in this cycle of WTC. They are currently fifth in the points table and will need a strong run of results to keep their hopes of reaching the final alive.

“Obviously, now the main goal is to play the World Test Championship final, which is next year. We have got about nine Tests and I think we have to win around 6 or 7 to be able to have a good chance at qualifying. So in terms of that, I think that this is (versus Sri Lanka) a very important series for us and we have had the right kind of preparation leading up to the series," added Gill.

The first Test against Sri Lanka will also be a special occasion for Gill as India prepare to play their 600th Test. He will join Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and Virat Kohli among the Indian captains to lead the team in landmark Tests. For Gill, the occasion carries added significance as it falls on Independence Day.

“It's a very big honour and privilege, you know, any Test Match that you captain for your country. Obviously, leading my country in our 600th Test match is a big honour and privilege for me and doing that on Independence Day is even more special,” he said.