“Incredibly tough but…”- Former India spinner reacts to Shubman Gill’s lean patch in T20Is
The former spin all-rounder of the Indian cricket team has reacted to the lean patch of their opening batter, Shubman Gill, in the shortest format of the game post the third game of the ongoing five-match series against South Africa.
India’s T20I vice-captain, Shubman Gill, has found himself under tremendous pressure heading into the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka and could get two more realistic chances to leave a mark among the spectators when they pick the 15-member squad for the ICC event.
The former Indian spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, expressed his concern given the responsibility Gill carries in the team and reckoned that dropping the batter would be a tough decision by the management. He feel that Sanju Samson may come after Gill gets full five games to regain his form.
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“I am a little concerned. Shubman is not only the opener but also the vice-captain. How will you remove the vice-captain? It is going to be an incredibly tough decision. If you have to take that decision, inside this series you can’t bring Samson because it does not look nice to drop the vice-captain. You can ask whether vice-captains have been dropped in the past or not.” Ashwin expressed in his YouTube channel.
Ravichandran Ashwin reacts to Shubman Gill’s continuous T20I struggle
Ashwin was impressed with India’s bowling performance in the third game against South Africa in Dharamshala where he reckoned that the bowlers’ fabulous line and length helped the hosts to restrict the opponents to a low score that they were able to chase quiet comfortably.
But he has been taken and should be given a fair run. If he does not perform in the five games, then a decision will have to be made. You should know your best XI and best squad (for T20 WC) by now. I don’t think there are any doubts in the bowling. That department is sealed. Another good message is that Harshit Rana is showing what he is capable of.” Ashwin shed light.
“He is executing what he is good at. The only question is, if Shubman doesn’t make the runs, should he be there or should Samson be playing. The only unfortunate thing from here on I do not want to see is Gill making runs at a lesser strike rate. That should not happen.” The Chennai-born concluded.
