The moment India’s Test and one-day international captain hit a lean patch in T20 internationals, it seemed he was on borrowed time. Though sacking high-profile players is usually unthinkable in Indian cricket, the selection committee took that brave call on Saturday. Less than two months before the T20 World Cup to be co-hosted at home, the T20I vice-captain was dropped from the squad for the marquee event.
Gill was considered a long-term solution to India’s captaincy needs in all formats after Rohit Sharma. However, the experiment did not bear the expected results in three tournaments. There were other factors in play, too. Gill’s inclusion in September disrupted the settled Sanju Samson-Abhishek Sharma combination that was pulverising opponents. As the batting order was changed, the team suddenly seemed to lose balance. What made matters more complicated is the form of the T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav.
In Gautam Gambhir’s time as head coach, Gill has opened 17 times, averaging 26 and striking at 137.35. Abhishek stands taller with an average of 36.7 and a strike rate of 189.84. Samson, as an opener, averages 34.92 with a strike rate of 181.6. Gill replacing Samson at the top led to the inclusion of a middle-order keeper-batter. And the middle order was not Samson’s preferred territory. The Gill experiment ran its course by the South Africa series, in which he scored 4, 0 and a run-a-ball 28. With doubts creeping in, an injury in Lucknow gave a chance for Samson in Ahmedabad. The all-in, aggressive approach of Abhishek and Samson, along with the fact that they allow for another all-rounder or finisher, might have tilted the management’s decision in Samson’s favour.
Gill’s loss turned out to be Ishan Kishan’s gain. Rinku Singh, too, was added as a finisher. The team’s fragility gave way to one of the best performances India could have hoped for against South Africa. Jitesh Sharma, drafted as a middle-order keeper once Gill came in, missed out. Kishan’s inclusion augurs well for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the tournament where he scored 517 runs and helped Jharkhand win the domestic T20 title just days before the selection. The BCCI’s call to make it mandatory for all players to play domestic cricket will build confidence. And, hopefully, boost the nation’s ambitions for the T20 World Cup.