Shubman Gill, in recent days, has emerged as the frontrunner for becoming India's next Test captain over the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul, who have led India in the past.
With the potential leadership role, Gill will also have to shoulder the responsibility to lead the batting lineup alongside someone like Rahul who is now the most experienced batter of the side.
Rahul, over the years, has stepped up in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia (SENA nations) and scored some important runs—something the stats won't show fully.
On the other hand, Gill has struggled when it comes to the incoming deliveries, finding the gap between his bat and pads, away from home.
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As the batting duo of these two are to head into the England series as two of the most important batters, let us take a look at the numbers they have produced in SENA.
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How has Shubman Gill performed in SENA?
Gill made his debut in Australia back in 2020 and also made a game-changing 91 in the famous Gabba Test that India went on to win.
So far, his numbers do not look as pretty as many would like from their captain, but some tactical tweaks can help him do well, with age on his side.
| Host country | Matches | Innings | Runs | Avg. | Highest | 50/100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 2 | 4 | 74 | 18.50 | 36 | 0/0 |
| England | 3 | 6 | 88 | 14.66 | 28 | 0/0 |
| Australia | 6 | 11 | 352 | 35.20 | 91 | 0/2 |
| New Zealand | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Overall | 11 | 21 | 514 | 25.70 | 91 | 0/2 |
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How has KL Rahul performed in SENA?
Rahul has previously also captained India in South Africa and notably has 4 centuries in SENA. Two tons, including his highest of 149, have come in England while two have come in South Africa—all on different tours.
Even in the first three Tests of the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he looked really solid and as one of the best batters from India on the tour, despite the numbers not telling the full story.
| Host country | Matches | Innings | Runs | Avg. | Highest | 50/100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 7 | 13 | 369 | 28.38 | 123 | 1/2 |
| England | 9 | 18 | 614 | 34.11 | 149 | 1/2 |
| Australia | 10 | 19 | 463 | 25.72 | 110 | 2/1 |
| New Zealand | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Overall | 26 | 50 | 1446 | 29.51 | 149 | 4/5 |
Notably, the duo have not played in New Zealand so far. The 25-year-old made his debut after the 2020 tour down under, and Rahul was not picked with Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal named as India's opening pair.