CHENNAI: 4. W. W. That is how the deliveries India vice-captain Shubman Gill has faced in this ongoing T20I series against South Africa reads like. Looked in isolation, it can be seen as just two bad games for a batter who is coming back from an injury. However, Gill's case is different.
Once an anointed prince, Gill is now an all-format captain-in-waiting for his coronation. He is already the skipper in ODIs and Tests and was made Suryakumar Yadav's deputy, putting him in line for the T20I captaincy as well. And that is what makes things more curiouser. Before Gill came back to the T20I set up, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma had made a formidable opening partnership that tore opposition attacks apart.
Two explosive players setting the tone upfront has been the style of play for India after the 2024 T20 World Cup. Gill, however, is not a Samson or Abhishek-kind of dasher in the powerplay. At least not yet. So when he was drafted in at the top and Samson was moved down, questions were raised as to why this move is being made in a hurry when there is still time for Gill become an all-format regular.
The selectors and team management, however, felt Gill is ready, especially after his leadership in England during the Test series and put him up with his childhood friend Abhishek to open. That move, while made with long-term view in mind, has not yielded the desired results so far. In 14 innings this year, Gill averages 23.9 while striking at 142.93 without a single fifty to show far. Now, in this powerpacked line-up with depth and aggressive style of play, it may not look as bad.
But Abhishek, by his lofty standards, has not performed too well and Suryakumar seems to be struggling at this point of time. Put it all together, Gill comes under the scrutiny as well. With less than a couple of months to go for a home T20 World Cup, a change was made to make place for Gill, altering something that was working well for the team. And when things do well, questions arise over that player.
Thought this is not to say Gill does not have the makings of a good T20I batter, but questions will arise due to failures. He may not be as explosive as Abhishek, but Gill is surely can be clubbed in the Virat Kohli school of T20 batting. The opener has shown enough evidence during the Indian Premier League that he can not only score runs but also win matches for his team. And he has to be given the time and rope to succeed at international level.
The issue with that is the timing. India have eight games to go before their title defence begins and he is yet to settle down with the spot. What hasn't helped is that the captain, Suryakumar, is not scoring, bringing all the limelight on himself and by an extension on Gill. For India to have a good chance at retaining the World Cup, they need these two players, especially Gill to come good. "I think myself, and Shubman, we could have given a good start because we can't rely on Abhishek all the time - the way he's been batting, he might have an off day. Me, Shubman and a few other batters, we should have taken (the responsibility)," Yadav said after losing in New Chandigarh.
Dharamsala provides Gill another chance to stake his claim for a spot that is given to him. Can he? Time will tell.