Shubman Gill Embraces All-Format Challenge: "I Want to Win Everything in Every Format"

Shubman Gill, India's 26-year-old Test and ODI captain, has opened up about the mental challenges of being an all-format player and leader, acknowledging the toll of constant cricket while expressing his unwavering commitment to succeeding across all three formats. Speaking on the eve of the second Test against West Indies in Delhi, Gill provided rare insight into the pressures facing modern cricketers expected to excel in multiple formats simultaneously.

The Mental Fatigue Factor

In a candid admission during his first press conference since being appointed India's ODI captain, Gill didn't shy away from discussing the psychological demands of his expanded role. As Test captain, T20I vice-captain, and now ODI captain, he represents a vanishing breed of all-format international players—and one holding leadership responsibilities in each format.

"Physically, most of the time, I feel fine, but sometimes, yes, there is mental fatigue, because when you are constantly playing, there is obviously a certain expectation that I have from myself, and to be able to keep up with my own expectations sometimes becomes the challenge."

This honest acknowledgment reflects the realities facing elite cricketers in an era of relentless scheduling. With international cricket, IPL commitments, and now captaincy duties across formats, Gill's calendar leaves little room for rest or recovery. Yet rather than complaining, he frames these challenges as necessary obstacles on his path to greatness.

"But I think that's the challenge, to be able to play all the formats for India, and I want to play all the formats and succeed in all the formats for the country, and win ICC titles. So, if I want to do that, then this is the challenge I have to go through."

Remarkable 2025 Campaign

Gill's comments come on the back of an extraordinary 2025 that has seen him emerge as India's batting leader and captaincy star. Appointed Test captain in May following Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's retirement from the format, he scored 754 runs during India's England tour at an average of 75.40—the second-most by any Indian batter in a bilateral series.

His highlight performance came at Birmingham's Edgbaston, where he smashed 269—the seventh-highest score by an Indian in Test cricket. He followed that with centuries in Manchester and most recently an unbeaten 129 against West Indies in Delhi, taking his 2025 international run tally to 1,540 runs from 29 innings with seven centuries and three fifties at an average of 59.23—making him the world's leading run-scorer this year.

Captaining Kohli and Rohit

One of Gill's immediate challenges will be leading two of India's greatest-ever batsmen—Kohli and Rohit—when India play three ODIs in Australia starting October 19. Both former captains are in their mid-30s and have retired from Tests and T20Is, raising questions about their future with the 2027 ODI World Cup still two years away.

Gill firmly backed both veterans to play crucial roles moving forward:

"The experience the two of them have [is immense], and there are very few players who can match the number of matches they have won for India. There are very few players in the world with such skill and quality along with that experience, and we look at it from that perspective."

When asked what qualities he hoped to inherit from Rohit, his predecessor as ODI captain, Gill identified two key attributes:

"So many qualities that I have inherited from Rohit bhai - the calmness that he possesses, and the kind of friendship that he has among the group is something that I aspire to, these are the qualities that I want to take from him."

Test Cricket's Unique Demands

Gill offered fascinating insights into the differences between captaining in red-ball and white-ball cricket, identifying Test matches as presenting the stiffest leadership challenge. His comments appeared to reflect on missed opportunities during India's 2-2 draw in England, where the visitors let winning positions slip in several matches.

"I feel in Test matches, the better team [in that match] does come on top at the end of the day because you've got more chances and more opportunities to make a comeback. Whereas in T20, if you have three-four overs of bad period, there might be a case that you are completely taken away from the game."

He elaborated on the sustained excellence required in five-day cricket:

"When you are playing a Test match, whenever a team wins a Test match, for that particular match, that team deserves to win the Test match because they played better cricket not for two-three hours or not for one day, but consistently over a period of three, four or five days. So the challenge is to stay on top for five days in a Test match, and that is more difficult than captaining in a T20 game."

Backing Sai Sudharsan

Media scrutiny has intensified around Sai Sudharsan, Gill's opening partner at Gujarat Titans in the IPL, who has struggled to convert starts in his first four Tests. With other talented batsmen waiting for opportunities, questions have been raised about Sudharsan's place in the side.

Gill offered strong support for his teammate, suggesting the 25-year-old's numbers were misleading:

"I don't really think he's had a lean run. He got one innings in the first match [in Ahmedabad]. At The Oval, he played a crucial innings of 40 runs on that wicket where the ball was seaming. The match before that, he scored a fifty in Manchester. Not every match everyone is going to score a hundred."

Emphasizing the importance of patience with young players, Gill outlined the team's philosophy:

"You have to give young players more opportunities. They are still trying to figure out their game. And we believe that you have to first see someone's potential and then see their game in the entirety, not just judge someone from one, two, three, four matches. Once you have given someone enough matches - six, seven, eight matches - then you can sit back and have a think over it."

He concluded with a strong endorsement: "But as of now, we think he's the man for us and he's someone that can play for India at No. 3 for a very long time."

Looking Forward, Not Back

Despite his remarkable achievements over the past five months, Gill insisted on maintaining a forward-looking mentality rather than dwelling on past successes:

"[The ODI captaincy] is obviously is a big responsibility and an even bigger honour, so I'm very excited to lead my country in that format, and yes, the last few months have been very exciting for me, but I'm really looking forward to what the future has. I want to stay [in the] present as [much as] possible and don't really want to look back on what I've been able to achieve or what we, as a team, have been able to achieve. Just want to look forward and win everything that we have in the upcoming months."

This mindset reflects the ambition driving Gill—not content with personal milestones, he's focused on team success and adding ICC trophies to his resume.

The Gambhir Factor

Gill's captaincy journey coincides with Gautam Gambhir's appointment as head coach. Their relationship, forged in their shared connections to Delhi cricket, appears strong. When asked about their vision, Gill explained:

"Our relationship is really good. It's very simple. We always try to have conversations around how we can make the players feel more secure and what kind of combinations we can play. We look to have 15 or 18-member squads [from] which we are picking constantly. Also, we talk about preparing a pool of good fast bowlers."

This partnership between a young captain and an experienced, demanding coach could prove crucial as India navigates a transition phase following the retirements of Kohli, Rohit, and Ravichandran Ashwin from Tests.

The Road Ahead

Gill's immediate challenges are substantial. After completing the West Indies series with a 2-0 sweep, India travel to Australia for three ODIs starting October 19—Gill's first assignment as ODI captain. Following that comes a crucial two-Test home series against South Africa in November, before India head back to Australia for their own two-Test series.

Managing his workload across these assignments while maintaining the high standards he's set for himself will test Gill's physical and mental reserves. His admission about mental fatigue shows self-awareness, but his determination to succeed in all formats suggests he won't easily relinquish any leadership role.

Conclusion

Shubman Gill represents the future of Indian cricket—a multi-format star willing to shoulder leadership responsibilities while pursuing excellence across all three formats. His candid acknowledgment of mental fatigue, combined with his unwavering commitment to the challenge, paints a picture of a mature leader comfortable in his own skin.

Whether he can sustain this level of performance while managing the demands of captaincy across formats remains to be seen. But his 2025 campaign suggests he possesses both the talent and temperament to succeed. As he prepares to lead India in Australia and beyond, Gill's mission is clear: win everything, in every format, and add ICC silverware to India's trophy cabinet.

For a cricketer who has already achieved so much at just 26, the best may still be ahead.