Shubman Gill, recently excluded from India's T20 World Cup squad, faces questions about the necessity of his initial
inclusion in the T20 setup. This development marks a significant shift from earlier in the year when the 26-year-old was
riding high, having amassed 754 runs in the Test series against England and being appointed Test and ODI captain, and
Gill's exclusion follows a period of inconsistent T20I performance and a neck strain sustained during the South Africa
Test series. His scores of 4, 0, and 28 in the initial T20I games after recovering from the injury, compounded by a
subsequent toe injury, seemingly sealed his fate. Despite a strong IPL record, Gill was also left out of the previous
T20 World Cup, a decision he likely aimed to rectify.
The decision to drop Gill raises questions about India's T20 strategy. While Gill is a technically sound player, the
emergence of more explosive T20 batsmen like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, and Sanju Samson presented a challenge.
Former India batter and coach WV Raman suggests that the team's decision-makers may have erred in prioritizing Gill's
leadership potential over established T20 specialists. Raman draws an analogy, suggesting it was like picking K
Srikkanth over Sunil Gavaskar for a T20 match, highlighting the different skillsets required.
There's a theory that Gill's adjustments to his batting technique, implemented to improve his Test performance, may have
inadvertently hindered his T20 game. While his more compact technique benefited his Test match play, it may have
restricted his ability to play the expansive, horizontal bat shots common in T20 cricket. This is supported by the
decline in his T20I strike rate, from a career average of 138.59 to 127.65 in his last 10 T20I innings.
Raman, however, downplays the technique argument, pointing out that players like Rohit Sharma still excel in T20s with a
relatively straight bat. He emphasizes the importance of inherent explosiveness, suggesting that other players in
contention simply possess a more natural aptitude for the format.
The handling of Gill's exclusion has also been criticized. Reportedly, he was informed of the decision shortly before
the selection meeting, a move that could potentially breed insecurity, especially given his captaincy roles in other
formats. The contrast with Suryakumar Yadav, whose recent batting average is significantly lower, being retained in the
squad further complicates the situation.
Raman advises Gill to remain objective and focus on his strengths in Test and ODI cricket. He stresses the importance of
not allowing emotion to cloud judgment and recognizing that team composition considerations often drive selection
decisions. Gill's challenge now is to navigate this setback and reaffirm his value in the other formats of the game.