 "Gavaskar to Gill: Most runs by an Indian captain in a single Test series")
Leading his national side in Test cricket is one of the greatest honours a player can achieve in a career. While many get the chance to live this dream, only a few go on to hold the spot for a long duration, and even fewer manage to give their best with bat or ball despite having the extra burden of captaincy — and the newly appointed Indian Test skipper is one of those rare names. Gill, in his debut series as Test captain against England, has gone on to shatter multiple records, and the latest record in the list he can break is him surpassing the legend Sunil Gavaskar as the Indian captain with the most runs in a single Test series. Gill currently has 697 runs to his name in the 2025 Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy, which is only 35 less than Gavaskar's record of 732 runs against West Indies back in 1979.
The third position is held by Virat Kohli, who scored 655 runs against England in 2017 — which was also the highest by any Indian against England until Gill surpassed him on Day 4 of the fourth Test of the series. But who are the other Indian captains who have managed to etch their names in the list of most runs for an Indian captain in a single Test series? Take a look.
Most runs by an Indian captain in a single Test series
| Rank | Captain | Runs | Opponent | Series/Year | Matches | Average |
| 1 | Sunil Gavaskar | 732 | West Indies | 1978/79 | 6 | 91.5 |
| 2 | Shubman Gill | 697* | England | 2025* | 4* | 174.25 |
| 3 | Virat Kohli | 655 | England | 2016/17 | 5 | 109.16 |
| 4 | Virat Kohli | 610 | Sri Lanka | 2017 | 3 | 152.5 |
| 5 | Virat Kohli | 593 | England | 2018 | 5 | 59.3 |
| 6 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | 712 | England | 2024 | 5 | 89 |
| 7 | Virat Kohli | 692 | Australia | 2014/15 | 4 | 86.5 |
| 8 | Dilip Sardesai | 642 | West Indies | 1971 | 5 | 80.25 |
| 9 | Rahul Dravid | 619 | Australia | 2003/04 | 4 | 123.8 |
| 10 | Rahul Dravid | 602 | England | 2002 | 4 | 100.33 |
Gill en route to all-time record
Gill reaching the 697-run mark in the Test series against England not only put him at the number two spot in the list of Indian captains with the most runs in a single Test series, but also in the number four spot in the list of Indian players with the most runs in a single Test series. However, Gill only needs 75 more runs to put himself at the top of the list, surpassing Sunil Gavaskar, who scored 774 runs against West Indies in 1971. Gavaskar also holds the number two spot with a 732-run series against West Indies, while Yashasvi Jaiswal is at number three with his 712-run series against England in 2024.
Most runs by an Indian player in a single Test series
| Rank | Batter | Runs | Opponent | Series/Year | Matches | Highest Score |
| 1 | Sunil Gavaskar | 774 | West Indies | 1971 | 4 | 220 |
| 2 | Sunil Gavaskar | 732 | West Indies | 1978-79 | 6 | 205 |
| 3 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | 712 | England | 2024 | 5 | 214* |
| 4 | Shubman Gill | 697* | England | 2025* | 4* | 269 |
| 5 | Virat Kohli | 692 | Australia | 2014-15 | 4 | 169 |
| 6 | Virat Kohli | 655 | England | 2016 | 5 | 235 |
| 7 | Dilip Sardesai | 642 | West Indies | 1971 | 5 | 212 |
| 8 | Rahul Dravid | 619 | Australia | 2003-04 | 4 | 233 |
| 9 | Virat Kohli | 610 | Sri Lanka | 2017 | 3 | 243 |
| 10 | Rahul Dravid | 602 | England | 2002 | 4 | 217 |