Shubman Gill’s return to India’s T20I team as vice-captain was not what fans, selectors and the team management had expected. Shubman Gill has been impressive in Tests and ODIs, but is struggling to find consistency in T20s.
However, this player from Punjab is also performing brilliantly in the IPL. Well, Gill was out for a golden duck in the second T20I against South Africa and scored only four runs in the first match of the ongoing five-match T20I series at home.
Shubman Gill is being criticized as his struggles continue in T20Is
India lost the second T20 match by 51 runs on 11 December as South Africa leveled the ongoing T20 series 1–1. Notably, in his last 14 innings, India’s Test and ODI captain has scored just 263 runs, which has led to a lot of criticism and questions regarding his form.
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However, Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra is not worried about these figures. The former Indian batsman believes that it is unfair to assess a player in such a fast and unpredictable format after only a few bad matches.
Nehra pointed out that India have multiple opening options if needed, but he does not think the Gujarat Titans skipper should be dropped or be under doubt because of a minor glitch, despite the fact that he has not scored a half-century in 16 T20I innings. He also warned of dropping Gill from the T20 team.
Ashish Nehra gave quick verdict on Shubman Gill
Times of India quoted Ashish Nehra as saying, “Look, this is the player you are talking about. If IPL was 3 weeks away, I wouldn’t be worried. Because you are talking about the T20 format. And there are only 2 matches to be played with South Africa. If I am not wrong. And that is our problem.”
The Gujarat Titans head coach further explained, “In such a fast-paced format, be it international cricket or IPL, if we start evaluating players like Shubman Gill after two or three matches, it will be difficult. If you want to look, you have many options. You can remove Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill.”
You can open with Sai Sudarshan and Ruturaj Gaikwad. If you want to remove them, you can do so with Washington Sundar and Ishan Kishan. Therefore, if there is talk of changing players after not getting good figures, then options are always available, but it will be very difficult to do so.
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Washington Sundar is ready for a bigger role in IPL 2026
Meanwhile, India and Gujarat Titans all-rounder Washington Sundar is performing well for India in all three formats. There were rumors that the franchise might trade him, but Nehra completely denied it. The coach praised Sundar’s talent and versatility, saying that he can bat in any order and can also contribute with the ball.
Nehra believes that Sundar is not at his full potential yet and will get better with more match time. He said the off-spinner has been in the Indian setup for years and is finally getting consistent opportunities to show his improvement. Last season, he did not play many matches due to team combination, but Nehra is hopeful that he will play a big role in IPL 2026.
Speaking about the upcoming IPL 2026 auction, Nehra pointed out that the Titans already have a stable and well-balanced squad. They have only released a few players, so this year’s auction won’t be about a major rebuild. With players like Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar and Glenn Phillips forming a strong middle order, GT will go into the auction with an open mind and select players based on availability and budget.
