3 Indian men's captains to have scored the most runs in a 5-match T20I series ft. Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill had a memorable series against Zimbabwe, both with the bat and as captain. After losing the opening game of the five-match T20 series, India bounced back in style, playing to their true potential to win the next four games in a row and take home the series 4-1.
Leading a fresh and young Indian side in his first assignment as captain of the national team, Gill was impressive with how he went about his business.
With the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja retiring from T20Is and other big names being rested for this series, the youngsters had an opportunity to prove their worth, and so they did.
Shubman Gill, after Kohli, became only the second Indian captain to win four T20Is in a series abroad. He also became India's sixth most successful captain in the format following this series victory.
The young batter entered another elite list, equalling Virat Kohli's captaincy record, as he became the second Indian skipper with the most runs in a five-match T20I series.
3 Indian captains with the most runs in a five-match T20I series
#3 Suryakumar Yadav (144 runs)
Suryakumar Yadav made his T20I captaincy debut in the series against Australia after the 2023 ODI World Cup. India won the five-match series handsomely, with a victory margin of 4-1.
Suryakumar played a key role with the bat in the series. He scored 144 runs from five games with a strike rate of 160. This included a 42-ball 80 in the opening match, which helped India chase down a daunting target of 209 to start the series on a winning note.
#2 Shubman Gill (170 runs)
Shubman Gill comes second on this list. He showed exceptional character against Zimbabwe, leading from the front. Apart from captaining the side to a remarkable 4-1 victory after a defeat in the first game, Gill also finished as the highest run-getter of the series.
Shubman Gill scored 170 runs in five games, averaging 42.50, with two half-centuries to his name. His highest score came in the 3rd T20I where he made 66 runs off 49 deliveries.
#1 Virat Kohli (231 runs)
At the top of this list is the former Indian captain, Virat Kohli. India hosted England for a five-match home T20 series in 2021. Kohli led the team to a 3-2 series win. England were leading 2-1 after the first three games but the hosts came back from behind to take the trophy.
Skipper Kohli led from the front with his captaincy and with the willow as well. He was at his very best, amassing 231 runs in five matches with an exceptional average of 115.50 and a strike rate of 147.13.
He displayed consistency throughout the series, scoring three half-centuries, and ended as the top run-getter with a personal best of an unbeaten 80(52) in the final T20I.
Kohli was named the Player of the Series for his fine showing with the bat.