Shubman Gill made his T20I debut earlier this month in the series against Sri Lanka. In the five matches he has played since – three against the Lankans and two against New Zealand – Gill has failed emulate the highs of his ODI and Test performances, managing only 76 runs in 59 balls at a strike rate of only 128.81. A disappointed Gautam Gambhir, former India cricketer, has hence fired a stern warning to the youngster with a remark on Prithvi Shaw, who awaits for his opportunity in the Indian line-up.
Gill’s best performance so far was a 36-ball 46 in the third T20I match against Sri Lanka in Rajkot. His four other scores involve single-digit knocks. And in the last match, against New Zealand in Lucknow, he managed only 11 off 9.
“I feel Shubman Gill has to get better against spin, on a spinning wicket. He had his struggles against Bangladesh as well. Yes, he has been fabulous in the 50-over format, got good wickets to bat on, with 5 fielders inside, But then, you’ve got to get better when the ball starts spinning, gripping and bouncing as well. He will get tested, not only against seam but spin as well,” Gambhir said.
The former India opener added that Gill is more suited to play in ODIs and Tests and is yet to prove himself as an all-format player following his struggles in T20Is. He further highlighted that Shaw has a more natural game to flourish in the shortest format.
“He still hasn’t found his feet in T20 format, when it comes to playing international cricket. Sometimes you have to play at a different tempo. His basic game suits 50-over format. Someone like Prithvi Shaw, his basic instinctive game is made for T20 cricket. Shubman Gill is someone whose basic game is made for 50-over format. How quickly he learns and adapts to this format will decide whether he will be able to play all the three formats,” he added.
