Shubman Gill Creates History Becomes First Asian Captain to Score 200 in SENA

Shubman Gill has done something no other Asian cricket captain has ever managed – scoring a double century in a Test match in SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia). At just 25, Gill has rewritten history books, leaving behind legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, none of whom came close to achieving this feat as captains in SENA conditions.

Before Gill, the highest score by an Asian captain in SENA countries was Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan, who made 193 at Lord’s in 2011. He also surpassed Gavaskar’s highest score as an Indian captain in England, which was a modest 48. Interestingly, Gavaskar did score a double century (221) in England, but not as captain. Gill didn’t stop there – he went on to break Gavaskar’s overall record for the highest individual score by an Indian in England, set at The Oval in 1979.  

Records broken by Shubman Gill during his historic knock

Then came another big one: Mohammed Azharuddin’s 35-year-old record for the highest score by an Indian captain in SENA countries (192 against New Zealand in 1990) was finally toppled. Azharuddin also held the record for the highest score by an Indian captain in England (179 in Manchester, 1990), which Gill obliterated with his marathon knock. In fact, Gill is only the second Indian captain after Azharuddin to cross 150 in England – Kohli’s best as skipper here was 149 at the same venue in 2018. 

What makes this innings even more special is that Gill became the first Indian in 23 years to score 150+ in England, following Rahul Dravid’s epic 217 at The Oval in 2002. His 269 is now the eighth-highest score by a visiting batter in England, joining the likes of Graeme Smith (277) and Zaheer Abbas (274), who also made double centuries at Edgbaston. 

The numbers behind his innings are just as impressive. Gill maintained a control percentage of 93.28, meaning he was in command for nearly every ball he faced. Since 2006, only two batters – Ian Bell and Jamie Smith – have had better control while scoring a century in England.  And if all this wasn’t enough, Gill joined an exclusive club of seven batters who have scored centuries in their first two Tests as captain. The list includes Indian greats like Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, and Virat Kohli, alongside legends like Alastair Cook and Steven Smith. 

This wasn’t just an innings – it was a legacy-defining performance. At an age where most players are still finding their feet, Gill has already achieved what many couldn’t in their entire careers. The cricketing world is witnessing the rise of a new giant, and if this is just the beginning, the future looks incredibly exciting – especially for Indian cricket.