Is Shubman Gill a burden to India's new-age T20I team?

Have India tried to fix something that wasn’t broken?

“When people raise questions about Shubman Gill being in the T20 setup, it never makes sense,” said former India fast bowler Varun Aaron, shortly after the Indian vice-captain hit 46 off 39 balls in India’s 48-run win over Australia in Gold Coast on Thursday.

Irfan Pathan echoed the thought, saying Gill has a clear role in the T20I side and executed it perfectly on a pitch that was not batting friendly.

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In the fifth and final T20I in Brisbane — washed out due to rain — Gill looked even more proactive, smashing 29 off 16 and outpacing his opening partner, World No. 1 Abhishek Sharma. India blasted 52 for 0 in just 4.5 overs before the rain gods stepped in. Abhishek had an off-day, dropped twice and short of fluency, but Gill looked a million dollars at the Gabba, where free-flowing strokeplay was rewarded.

Abhishek put it bluntly: the partnership with Gill was no longer fire and ice — it was fire and fire.

Most teams in world cricket would grab a batter like Shubman Gill at the top.

But does India’s T20I side actually need him?

LESSON FROM PAINFUL PAST

To answer that, go back to the era when India looked dominant on paper but not on the scoreboard.

The T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022 were wake-up calls. India had Rohit, Kohli and Rahul, yet the big trophy stayed out of reach. The breaking point came in the 2022 semifinal: India crawled to 168 for 6 on a flat Adelaide pitch. England chased it down in 16 overs without losing a wicket.

That night flicked a switch in Rohit Sharma’s head.

He felt India were batting with fear, protecting averages, and avoiding risk in a format that punishes caution. So he changed the culture. He attacked from ball one, sacrificing his own numbers to set the tone. The rest of the lineup received a licence to go hard.

It worked.

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When Suryakumar Yadav took over after Rohit’s retirement, he inherited a blueprint. Alongside Gautam Gambhir, he added even more spice to it.

THE OPENING PAIR ENGINES

The heart of India’s new T20I dominance was the opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.

Abhishek had smashed the IPL. Samson was trusted again and sent up top to attack.

Together, they were a nightmare for bowlers in T20Is.

PartnershipInningsRunsAverageRun Rate50+ StandsAbhishek-Samson12267229.821

Then came Abhishek–Gill:

PartnershipInningsRunsAverageRun Rate50+ Stands100+ StandAbhishek-Gill1448637.389.7831 (vs PAK)

So, numbers say they are similarly effective, even slightly better on paper.

But where have these runs come?

Abhishek–Samson: 8 in India, 4 in South Africa

Abhishek–Gill: 2 in Zimbabwe, 5 in Australia, 7 in UAE

Abhishek–Samson mostly batted on batting paradises.

Abhishek–Gill have delivered across tougher surfaces.

So why the debate?

THE REAL PROBLEM

Since Rohit retired, India have used four openers: Abhishek, Samson, Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

PlayerMatchesRunsStrike RateAbhishek Sharma26988192Sanju Samson13417182Yahsasvi Jaiswal6221170Shubman Gill19502136

Here’s the problem: Gill’s strike rate is under 150 — a non-negotiable in modern T20I cricket.

There’s talk of him playing the “Virat Kohli anchor role.” But do India need an anchor when they bat powerfully and deep until No. 8 or No. 9?

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This is where the domino effect starts.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

With Shubman being forced into the mix since the Asia Cup, the Indian batting order has been impact heavily. It was less pronounced in the Asia Cup due to the quality of the opposition, but the Indian team was exposed against a second string Australian side in the recently concluded 5 T20Is.

Here's the ripple impact on the rest of the line-up.

When Abhishek and Samson were firing:

Tilak Varma thrived in the top 4

Suryakumar owned his slot

Finishers like Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh got time in the middle

But Gill’s return has pushed the order around. India have tried to fit Samson in the middle-order. Tilak and Suryakumar were already jostling for the No. 3 spot. But, one of them had to bat lower down the order. Tilak, a bonafide top-order batter, has been pushed to the middle-order.

The biggest casualty? Samson.

He was finally establishing himself as a reliable opener in his third stint, and then he was shifted to the middle order. Recently, he was even dropped in the Australia series to accommodate Jitesh Sharma, a more natural finisher.

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Now the numbers show the difference.

Before Gill’s return (01 July 2024 – 09 September 2025)

PlayerRunsInningsStrike RateAverageTilak Varma4139170.6682.60Abhishek Sharma41112200.4834.25Suryakumar Yadav16611146.9015.09Sanju Samson41712183.7037.90

Since Shubman Gill’s return (09 September 2025 – 07 November 2025)

PlayerRunsInningsStrike RateAverageTilak Varma247912641.16Abhishek Sharma45411185.3041.27Suryakumar Yadav1561013022.28Shubman Gill23011139.3925.55Sanju Samson1345121.8126.80

The story is simple, Tilak’s strike rate has crashed. Samson’s too.

And here’s the most telling stat:

Abhishek + Samson era: 200+ scores in 6 of 12 matches

Abhishek + Gill era: 200+ scores in just 1 of 12 matches

India’s “fearless” batting engine slowed down.

SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS GILL OFFERING?

Supporters argue Gill brings solidity, someone to consolidate on tougher pitches. But where is the evidence that Samson, Jaiswal or even Abhishek himself can’t anchor when required?

Nobody doubts about the fact that Gill is talented. He is one of the best modern-era batters India has produced, and the management clearly see him as a future all-format captain. He’s already been given the Test captaincy and recently took over ODIs as well.

But are India asking for too much?

If Gill is constantly pushed to bat at a higher tempo than his natural rhythm, does it create pressure? If T20I failures pile up, does that pressure leak into Tests and ODIs?

India have taken a punt with Gill at the top. A bold one. One that may deliver results on the surface — but risks damaging the DNA this T20I team spent years sculpting.

- Ends

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