Shubman Gill recorded a century on his Test captaincy debut against England on Friday, becoming only the fifth Indian to do so after Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar and Virat Kohli. The 25-year-old produced a masterful hundred on Day 1 of the first Test at Headingley.
After India lost two quick wickets near the end of the first session, Gill walked in at a pressure point and played a captain's knock. He finished the day unbeaten on 127 runs and stitched two crucial partnerships, first a 129-run stand with Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored a hundred of his own, and later an unbeaten 138-run alliance with Rishabh Pant.
India ended the day in the driving seat at 359 runs for the loss of three wickets. While Shubman Gill’s batting drew applause from all quarters, there was one curious detail that did not go unnoticed, his choice of socks.
Also read: England vs India: “We Had Great Camaraderie Out There”: Jaiswal on Batting with Shubman Gill
Black Socks Could Land Shubman Gill in Trouble with ICC
As cameras zoomed in on India’s new captain, eagle-eyed viewers noticed he was wearing black socks.
According to Clause 19.45 of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Clothing and Equipment Rules, players in Test matches are allowed to wear only white, cream or light grey-coloured socks.
In ODIs and T20Is, players are allowed to wear socks of white, cream, or light grey colours, along with the option to match the colour of their playing trousers.
In this case, Gill’s black socks stand out as a possible violation. If deemed a deliberate breach, the ICC could fine him up to 20 per cent of his match fee under a Level 1 offence of the Code of Conduct. However, he might get off scot-free if the breach is found to be unintentional.
ICC Has Acted on Kit Violations Before
Instances of players being penalised under the ICC’s Clothing and Equipment regulations are not new. In 2018, KL Rahul was pulled up during the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Bengaluru. The Indian batter was wearing a helmet that failed to meet the ICC’s approved safety standards. As a result, he was fined 10 per cent of his match fee for the breach.
Similarly, England’s Joe Root faced action during the 2021 Test series against India. Root wore a jersey that featured a rainbow-coloured badge to support the LGBTQ+ community, which fell outside the approved kit design guidelines. He was docked 15 per cent of his match fee for that offence.
