India’s rising batting sensation, Shubman Gill, is set to take on a dual role in the upcoming five-match Test series against England making his debut as Test captain and stepping into the pivotal No. 4 batting position. The series opener will be held at Headingley, Leeds.

Former cricketer and now commentator Aakash Chopra shared his thoughts on the change, calling it an unusual move in Test cricket one where a player voluntarily drops down the order. Until now, Gill has predominantly featured as an opener or, on occasion, at No. 3 in his 32-Test career.

With Virat Kohli’s retirement creating a significant gap at No. 4, Gill has taken it upon himself to fill the void. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra remarked on how uncommon it is for players especially openers to shift lower down in the batting order in red-ball cricket.

“It’s now official that the captain will bat at No. 4. Shubman’s journey is quite unique starting as an opener and now landing at No. 4. In Test cricket, it’s rare for someone to move down the order after opening,” Chopra said.

He also highlighted a trend in Indian cricket where most batters tend to climb up the order as their careers progress. Using examples like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, Chopra pointed out that they both began lower in the order and eventually took on the No. 4 role. In contrast, players like Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma were promoted to open and remained there throughout their Test careers.

“Most players go up the order over time. A batter might start at No. 5 or 6 and then settle at 3 or 4. But going from opener to middle-order that’s quite rare. I can’t recall many who’ve done that, at least not in the Indian team in recent years,” he added.