Explained: Is Shubman Gill in trouble for sporting Nike vest in Birmingham Test?

Shubman Gill dominated the headlines across the cricket world with his record-breaking show with the bat in India's second Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy againt England in Birmingham. With a daddy hundred in each innings of the Test, he rewrote record books, leading India's sensational comeback after the defeat in the series opener in Leeds.

Amid his purple patch with the bat in England, Gill also made headlines for an off-field choice that sparked widespread discussion. Leading India as Test captain, Gill oversaw his first-ever declaration during the 83rd over of India’s second innings on Saturday in Birmingham. Birmingham Test, Day 5 Updates

advertisement

With more an hour left in the day's play, Gill declared India's second innings on 427 for 6, setting England a Himalayan target of 608. Yet, it wasn’t just the timing of the declaration that drew attention, it was what he was wearing when he made it.

Gill appeared in the dressing room to signal the declaration to teammates Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, who were batting in the middle. Wearing a black Nike vest, he called in his teammates from the field. The sight raised eyebrows, given the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has an exclusive sponsorship agreement with Adidas, Nike’s direct competitor—running until March 2028.

According to the deal, India's cricket kits, across the men and women's teams and across all age groups, will be sponsored by Adidas.

As images of Gill’s Nike-clad declaration circulated online, fans quickly began to question whether the young captain may have inadvertently breached the BCCI’s commercial obligations. The Nike logo, clearly visible across his chest, sparked a wave of social media reactions, some critical, others tongue-in-cheek, but all noting the implications.

While top apparel manufacturers are strict about their big-money deals, it remains to be seen if Gill will be penalised.

One fan said: "I know the inner is a personal gear and not part of the kit that Adidas provides, but back in 2006-07, Ganguly was penalised for sporting a Puma headband when the Nike was the kit sponsor."

While the vest incident continued to make waves online, Gill was simultaneously putting in one of the greatest batting performances by an Indian in Test history. In the first innings, he scored a commanding 269, his highest Test score to date, laced with 30 boundaries and three sixes. He followed it up with another century in the second innings, taking his match tally past Sunil Gavaskar’s long-standing record of 344 runs in a single Test—set back in 1971 against the West Indies.

Gill reached the landmark during the second session on Day 4, when he drove Shoaib Bashir for two runs to etch his name into the record books. With that, he not only became the Indian with the most runs in a single Test but also the eighth from the country to score centuries in both innings of a Test match.

advertisement

What’s more, he joined elite company as only the third Indian captain to achieve the feat, following in the footsteps of Sunil Gavaskar (1978) and Virat Kohli (2014).

It was a performance that underscored Gill’s potential, not just as a batsman of rare class, but as a leader capable of delivering under pressure as he led the fightback from the Indian team, which was demoralised after losing the first Test, despite scoring 800 runs.

- Ends

Published By: Akshay Ramesh Published On: Jul 6, 2025

Tune In

Click here to read article