Gavaskar Honours Shubman Gill with Signed Cap After Near-Record Test Series

India’s Test captain Shubman Gill may have narrowly missed out on breaking one of Indian cricket’s most iconic records, but he earned something equally meaningful — a heartfelt tribute from the man whose record he nearly surpassed, Sunil Gavaskar.

On a tense third day of the final Test at The Oval, as India pressed for a series-levelling win against England, emotions ran high post-match when Gavaskar presented Gill with a signed cap and shirt in a rare personal gesture of admiration. The moment symbolized a passing of the torch — from one Indian great to a rising star.

Gill finished the five-Test Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy with a stunning 754 runs in 10 innings, falling just 21 runs short of Gavaskar’s legendary mark of 774 runs in a single Test series, set against the West Indies in 1971. Despite missing out on the milestone, Gill’s contributions were pivotal to India’s fightback in the series.

“This is a little cap, which I give to very few people with my signature,” Gavaskar told Gill, handing over the memorabilia. The 74-year-old also revealed he would wear his “lucky jacket” on Day 4 — the same jacket he wore during India’s historic Gabba victory in 2021, where Gill scored a game-changing 91 in the fourth innings.

Coming into the fifth Test, Gill had a realistic chance of eclipsing Gavaskar’s record. However, he could manage only 21 and 11 in his two innings, with his second-innings dismissal — a first-ball wicket after lunch — ending his pursuit of the milestone.

Still, the 25-year-old broke new ground by becoming the highest run-scorer by an Indian Test captain in a single series, surpassing Gavaskar’s previous record of 732 runs set in 1978–79.

Meanwhile, India ended Day 3 by setting England a formidable target of 374 runs, and took a key wicket before stumps as Mohammed Siraj bowled Zak Crawley to leave England at 50/1. With time on India’s side and a fiery pace attack on the charge, Day 4 promises a thrilling finish to what’s already been a fiercely contested series.