Shubman Gill Just 11 Runs from Breaking Gavaskar’s 47-Year Record, 89 Short of Bradman’s World Mark

Indian captain Shubman Gill stands on the verge of rewriting the Test cricket record books as he enters the fifth and final Test against England at The Oval on July 31. The 25-year-old is closing in on two monumental batting records held by Sunil Gavaskar and Sir Donald Bradman, two of the sport’s most legendary figures.

Gill, who has dazzled throughout the ongoing five-Test series, needs just 11 runs to surpass Gavaskar’s record for the most runs by an Indian captain in a single Test series — 732 runs, set during the 1978–79 series against the West Indies.

He is also within touching distance of another iconic Gavaskar milestone: the most runs by an Indian in any bilateral Test series. Gavaskar’s 774-run haul in his 1971 debut series in the West Indies — featuring four centuries and an average of 154.80 — has stood unchallenged for over five decades. Gill currently sits at 722 runs from eight innings at a formidable average of 90.25.

But the young skipper’s ambitions don’t end there.

Eyeing Bradman’s 87-Year-Old Captaincy Record

Gill is also just 89 runs away from eclipsing Sir Donald Bradman’s long-standing record of 810 runs, the most ever scored by a captain in a single Test series. Bradman achieved that feat in the 1936–37 Ashes series over nine innings, averaging exactly 90.00. If Gill scores 89 or more at The Oval, he will set a new world record, surpassing the Australian legend in a feat that has endured for nearly nine decades.

Century Chase: One More for the History Books?

Having already notched four centuries, including a career-best 269 and a crucial second-innings 103 in the fourth Test at Old Trafford, Gill is also on the cusp of another record. One more century would make him the first captain in history to score five Test hundreds in a single bilateral series, surpassing both Gavaskar and Bradman, who currently share the record with him.

A Series and a Legacy on the Line

India trails 1–2 in the five-match series, making the final Test not just a chance for Gill’s individual glory but also an opportunity for India to draw the series—something they haven’t done on English soil since 2007.

As The Oval Test looms, the weight of history is on Gill’s shoulders. But if his recent form is any indication, the young captain could soon join cricket’s most elite company — not just as a promising leader, but as a record-breaking giant of the game.

With the stakes at their highest, all eyes will be on Shubman Gill. History is calling.