Overview:
The 25-year-old was recalled to the T20I side after more than a year and appointed vice-captain for the Continental Cup. His presence in the Playing XI is going to push Sanju Samson out of the reckoning.
Shubman Gill will open the batting with Abhishek Sharma in the Asia Cup 2025. Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan is confident of Gill’s success in T20Is despite some critics predicting his failures. The 25-year-old was recalled to the T20I side after more than a year and appointed vice-captain for the Continental Cup. His presence in the Playing XI is going to push Sanju Samson out of the reckoning. Irfan thinks that Gill can adjust to the demands of the shortest format of the game despite being away for a long time.
Meanwhile, Abhishek and Samson did well as openers in Gill’s absence, with the two amassing 535 and 487 runs respectively at a strike rate exceeding 170 since the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar almost confirmed Abhishek’s place in the Playing Unit.
“Shubman Gill has improved a lot in the T20 format, particularly in the last few years in the IPL. His strike rate used to be around 125, but he has taken it to 150. We saw him performing in the IPL and scoring runs at a strike rate of over 150,” Pathan told India Today.
In IPL 2025, Gill accumulated over 600 runs at a strike rate of 155. Pathan called him a leader and added that being part of the leadership group will motivate him to give his best.
“India are playing aggressive cricket and I think Shubman Gill can adjust to that,” Pathan added.
“Shubman Gill is a leader. When you become a leader, you are expected to make contributions in different ways. He is the vice-captain in the T20I side and captain in Test cricket. He will want to prove a point by playing attacking cricket and leading from the front,” he mentioned.
“He has the ability and can play big shots.” Pathan also warned Gill from changing his overhaul approach. “You shouldn’t be obsessed with strike rate. You have to play according to the situation. When the pitch is challenging and you are chasing 140 runs, the strike rate becomes secondary. But if the team demands Gill can increase his strike rate,” he concluded.
In 21 T20I matches, Gill has scored 578 runs at a strike rate of 139.27.