Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar gave blunt advice to young Indian player Shubman Gill while traveling back from Ahmedabad as they boarded the same flight back. He has also defended Shubman Gill after he was dropped from the T20 World Cup squad.
Shubman Gill’s exclusion from the Indian team for the ICC T20 World Cup has shocked not only the Indian fans but also some cricket legends. One of them is none other than Indian talent Sunil Gavaskar.
While many have been pleased with the selections made by the Indian men’s selection committee, some have also praised the exclusion of Shubman Gill from the World Cup squad; Some people like Gujarat Titans coach Ashish Nehra and former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar have supported Gill.
Sunil Gavaskar believes, “Not a bit surprising, it is surprising.”
After Gill’s exit, Gavaskar was genuinely surprised as he called it a blow in the air when the team was discussed. Gavaskar started by admitting that he didn’t see it happening. “Not a little surprised, but surprised.”
“Because he is a class act. Quality batsman, who has had a great season with the bat. Yes, I know he has struggled for these few matches against South Africa. But you know, class always tells in the end. You know, form is always a bit fluke,” Gavaskar said.
The former Indian captain tried to explain the reason for Shubman Gill’s poor form in this format. He mentioned that the Indian player has returned after a long break, and this explains his lack of rhythm, as one has to come in the shorter formats and go ‘bang-bang’.
Gavaskar said, “So the T20 format is not strange for him.”
Shubman Gill has often been criticized for being comparatively slow compared to other players batting during the powerplay; On this, Sunil Gavaskar told that this method can seem slow when he is not able to time the ball well.
Gavaskar said that Shubman Gill is inclined to become a Test cricketer and intends to play on the field. He said that when the ball does not come easily on the bat, it is quite challenging to play different types of shots to score runs in T20.
We have seen in the IPL, he is very, very good. So the T20 format is not something strange for him,” Gavaskar said.
“Ghar pe kisiko bolo nazar utar de,” Gavaskar plays father to Shubman Gill
When injured Shubman Gill and captain Suryakumar Yadav returned from Ahmedabad, Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar also took the same flight and came back with the Indian stars.
He revealed that he had given some advice to Shubman Gill, and it was not for improving his game or anything related to his technique. He described Gill’s injuries as a bit strange and hence, he should remove the evil eye from him.
“I said some of his injuries were a bit strange. And so you know the neck injury and then, of course, the knee injury. I said, ghar pe kisi ko bolo nazar uttar de. You know, because we believe in him. We believe in the fact that sometimes the nazar gets taken,” Gavaskar said, turning on his grandfather’s style for the Indian cricketer.
Also read: Ishan Kishan reacts to ending his long wait with ICC T20 World Cup 2026 selection
