Shubman Gill has been tasked with overseeing the Indian Test team’s transition phase, which has accelerated significantly with the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. At 25 years old, Gill will become the fifth youngest Indian to captain a Test team when he leads the side onto the field for the series opener against England at Headingley (Leeds) on June 20. While this will be the talented top-order batter’s first leadership role in Test cricket, he has captained India in T20Is and is their designated vice-captain in limited-overs cricket. However, former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary believes that none of the players selected for the England tour are guaranteed starters. He suggests that with Jasprit Bumrah’s injury concerns, Gill was made captain as the ‘second-best’ available option. Although there has been no official explanation from the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel, several reports indicate that Bumrah’s injury history and his potential unavailability for some Tests during the England tour were the primary reasons behind him not being named captain. “As expected, Shubman Gill has been named Test captain,” Tiwary stated on Cricbuzz. “However, there isn’t a single player right now who is an automatic pick in India’s Test XI. Gill was the second-best option before them (selectors). So that’s why he’s been made the captain. There’s nobody who has a permanent place (in the current Test team). He was the second-best available (name).” Tiwary further argued that Gill’s Test average does not yet warrant a guaranteed place in the side. He believes the selectors chose Gill solely because he was the next best candidate. “If you look at his average…how can you make someone captain whose place in the playing XI isn’t certain? It’s because he was the second-best option. That’s why they’ve invested in him,” he said. While Gill has been named as the captain, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will serve as his deputy. The England tour will also be the beginning of the next ICC World Test Championship cycle.