Aggression Or Assurance? Evaluating Gill’s Suitability For India’s New T20I Strategy

Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir [Source: AFP Media]

The Indian team, under head coach Gautam Gambhir, has appeared to be more aggressive and has tried to play an all-out brand of cricket, especially in the T20Is. However, a recent debate has sparked after the announcement of the Indian squad for the 2025 Asia Cup. One of the prime talking points has been the inclusion of Shubman Gill in the squad.

While a section fans and experts are of the opinion that Gill's batting approach does not coincide with India's current approach, some favour the solidity that the batter brings at the top. In this article, let us take an analytical, data-driven approach to analyse if he is at all suitable for the role India are projecting him into.

India's Modern T20I Philosophy: The Numbers Game

Under Gautam Gambhir, India has adopted an ultra-aggressive batting strategy. A look at the numbers of the openers since Gambhir has taken the role of head coach, and we can see that none of the Indian openers have a strike rate less than 170, other than Gill himself. This might certainly raise doubts about his suitability for the current set-up. 

Shubman Gill Showing Evolution

However, Shubman Gill has shown with his IPL 2025 performance that he can be aggressive at the top of the order while maintaining his signature consistency. During the latest edition of the tournament, the right-handed batter showed his intent to take advantage of the power plays. With a strike rate exceeding 150 and an average of 50, he certainly presents a compelling case for himself.

Gill Improving His Suitabilty To India's Current Set-Up

In the initial stages of his career, Shubman Gill appeared to be a conservative batter. From 2018 to 2022, his strike rate revolved around 117-146. However, in IPL 2023, he evolved into a run scorer at a rate of over 155 per 100 balls. Although his form dropped slightly in 2024, he worked on it and maintained a scoring rate comparable to modern standards, while demonstrating superb consistency.

Shubman Gill's IPL Strike Rate Evolution [Source: OneCricket]

The Advantage Of Consistency

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill are the players who can open the innings for India in the Asia Cup 2025. While others have a higher strike rate than Gill, he is far more consistent. With the approach that he is going for now, Gill's presence might ensure India has impactful starts regularly.

Conclusion

When we look solely at Gill's numbers in the T20Is, there is no doubt that he falls well short of modern standards. However, if we look at how he is evolving as a complete batter and maintaining his scoring rate while being consistent, then he is definitely making a compelling case for himself. If Gill continues to maintain the brilliance he has shown in recent times, then he can emerge as a key asset in the Indian batting line-up, not only for the Asia Cup 2025 but also for the T20 World Cup 2026.

---

ALSO READ

Ravi Ashwin Bids Goodbye: Decoding The Greatest IPL XI With His Teammates Ft. MS Dhoni

---