The Indian T20I team, once lauded for its aggressive and high-scoring brand of cricket, is currently facing scrutiny over selection choices, particularly the positioning of Shubman Gill. The decision to bring Gill back into the Asia Cup squad as vice-captain led to a cascading effect, pushing Sanju Samson down the batting order and ultimately sidelining Rinku Singh from the playing XI.
Gill’s Poor Form Under the Spotlight
In the present scenario, Gill’s form for the national team is raising serious doubts about his spot, especially after his underwhelming returns in the ongoing series against South Africa. In the first two T20Is, the 26-year-old opener has been dismissed cheaply, managing scores of just 4 and 0 (a golden duck) in Cuttack and Mullanpur, lasting a mere three balls in total across both innings.
Ashish Nehra Appeals for Patience
Amid the mounting criticism, Gill’s coach at the Gujarat Titans, Ashish Nehra, has come out strongly in his defense, appealing for patience and cautioning against hasty judgment based on just a few poor outings.
- T20 Format Volatility: Speaking to media, Nehra emphasized the fast-paced and unpredictable nature of T20 cricket. “Look, the player you are talking about. If IPL was 3 weeks away, I wouldn’t be worried. Because you are talking about T20 format. And there are only 2 matches played with South Africa,” said Nehra.
- Warning Against Hasty Evaluation: He stressed that quick evaluation could lead to instability: “If we start evaluating players like Gill after two-three matches, then it will be difficult… If we do this like this, then it would be difficult.”
- Selection Options: Nehra noted that if the team insists on changing players based solely on recent poor stats, they have other options like opening with Sai Sudharsan and Ruturaj Gaikwad or Washington Sundar and Ishan Kishan.
Team India Coaches Show Support
Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate also threw his support behind Gill following the heavy defeat in the second T20I, reaffirming the team management’s belief in the young player’s caliber.
- Justifying Recent Dismissals: Ten Doeschate attempted to offer context for Gill’s dismissals: “In the first game we asked the guys to go out and attack on the power play, and the wicket was not very great at Cuttack. So I will let him go off with that one. Today, he got out to a great ball. This can happen when you are short on form.”
- Citing IPL Success: The coach pointed to Gill’s massive IPL output as evidence of his quality: “But we also believe in his class. If you look at his IPL records, he has stacked 600-700-800 runs, and he will come good.”
The Sanju Samson Dilemma
The controversy is exacerbated by the fact that Gill’s inclusion has relegated players like Sanju Samson, who had previously smashed three T20I centuries the previous year, to the bench. Many fans and critics believe Samson should be a sure starter, viewing the current team setup as a conscious push to position Gill as the “poster-boy of this generation,” potentially at the cost of established talent.