Shubman Gill fails again: Fans accuse Gambhir of favouritism in India's T20I team

India head coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selection panel Ajit Agarkar faced criticism after Shubman Gill kept struggling in T20Is. On Thursday, December 11, Gill was dismissed for a golden duck after India were asked to chase a challenging target of 214 against South Africa in the second T20I at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur.
Gill fell in the very first over of the chase, with Lungi Ngidi providing South Africa their first breakthrough. Ngidi bowled a seaming length delivery at 135 km/h, which slightly moved away from the batter. Gill, attempting a straight defense, was beaten, and Reeza Hendricks held a sharp catch at first slip to complete the dismissal.
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Fans criticised Gautam Gambhir and the selection panel for repeatedly backing Shubman Gill, leaving other promising batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal on the sidelines.
Also Read: Shubman Gill likely to get A+ BCCI contract, will Rohit, Virat be snubbed?
One fan wrote, “This guy (Jaiswal) was our back-up opener in the last T20 World Cup. Ideally he should be our main opener in upcoming T20 WC. But, favouritism had removed him from T20I set-up. If Subhman Gill doesn't play well in upcoming 3 matches. Then Yashasvi should replace him in next T20I series.”
Another fan wrote, “OMG, what kind of favouritism is this from Gautam Gambhir towards Shubman Gill? He got out for a duck today, how many chances will he keep getting? Meanwhile, top openers like Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal are sitting out while he continues to get opportunities.”
Here's how fans reacted to Shubman Gill's failure
SURYAKUMAR ALSO FAILS
While vice-captain Shubman Gill struggled to get going, captain Suryakumar Yadav also found runs hard to come by. He managed just five off four balls before Marco Jansen dismissed him. Attempting a push towards the third man region, Suryakumar misjudged the angle, and the ball took a faint edge to the keeper.
Jansen appeared certain of the dismissal, but both the wicketkeeper and Markram at first slip hesitated. After a brief discussion, they opted for a review, which ultimately confirmed the wicket. In his last 23 innings, Suryakumar has scored only 227 runs at an average of 13.35 with a top score of 47 not out against Pakistan in the Asia Cup.
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