Shubman Gill has been officially recognised as the ICC Player of the Month for July, marking an electrifying arrival in the role of India’s Test captain.
The 25-year-old opener surged to 567 Test runs during the month, averaging 94.50, and led from the crease with a double century and two additional hundreds. By the close of July, he stood as the highest run-scorer worldwide for the month.
Gill’s defining contribution arrived at Edgbaston, where he hammered 269 in the first innings and an unbroken 161 in the second. That twin assault propelled India to a record victory on the ground, years since they last triumphed there in Test cricket.
Reacting to the award, Gill remarked on its emotional weight, given it fell within his first series as captain. “The double ton in Birmingham is something I’ll treasure always,” he explained, “and it will certainly rank among my fondest memories from the entire England tour.”
He framed the captaincy stint as an incremental education, stressing the shared endeavour. “I am grateful to the voting panel, and most of all to teammates who stood with me through the adrenaline of the series,” he concluded.
Over the course of the tour, Gill amassed a total of 754 runs at a remarkable average of 75.40, punctuated by four centuries. His aggregate now stands as the second-highest by a captain in the annals of a single Test series. The competition concluded in a 2-2 stalemate, with Gill singled out as India’s Player of the Series by England head coach Brendon McCullum.
Shubman Gill just nabbed the latest ICC award, and you have to see who he was up against. He had to beat out Wiaan Mulder, who went on an absolute tear for South Africa with 531 runs against Zimbabwe.
Then there was Ben Stokes, who was a machine for England, hitting 251 runs and taking 12 wickets against the West Indies. It’s just more proof of the incredible, breakout year Gill is having with both his batting and his leadership.
