Shubman Gill has made a remarkable start as India’s Test captain. On the first day of the first Test at Headingley, he played an unbeaten innings of 127 runs. Gill became the fifth Indian, after Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Virat Kohli, to score a century on captaincy debut in Test cricket. However, amid this joyous occasion, Gill now faces a potential ICC sanction.
Several media reports suggest that Gill may be penalized for breaching ICC’s disciplinary rules — specifically relating to clothing regulations. Yesterday, Gill was seen batting with black socks, which is against ICC’s Test rules.
Clause 19.45 of ICC’s ‘Clothing and Equipment Rules’ clearly states that in Test cricket, players are allowed to wear only white, cream, or light grey socks. The same applies for ODI and T20 formats. Socks can also match the primary color of the trousers in two permitted versions. This regulation has been in effect since May 2023.
Whether Gill will face punishment for wearing non-compliant socks depends on match referee Richie Richardson’s decision. He will determine if Gill has committed a Level One offense intentionally by breaking the rules. If found guilty, penalties can range from a fine of 10 to 50 percent of match fees and possibly demerit points. However, if the breach is accidental or unintentional — for example, due to wet or unusable socks — Gill may avoid sanctions.
At Headingley, Gill and Rishabh Pant (65*) remained unbeaten and ended the day after putting together an unbroken 138-run partnership for the fourth wicket off 198 balls. India finished day one at 359 for 3 in 85 overs.
