Gill over Jaiswal and Gaikwad in T20Is: Record since comeback exposes India's selection mishap

Shubman Gill was chosen over Yashasvi Jaiswal for T20Is [Source: AFP]

Stylish Indian batter Shubman Gill extended his torrid run on the Australia tour, registering another low score in the second T20I at MCG. The opening batter, who struck 37 runs in the first T20I, got out for five runs in the subsequent match. 

It's important to note that Shubman Gill was sidelined from India's T20I setup after India's away series against Sri Lanka. However, a breakthrough IPL 2025 season, which saw Gill score 650 runs at an average of 50 and a strike rate of 150.88, eventually led to his return to the T20I side. 

But unfortunately, Shubman Gill's T20I comeback hasn't yielded results for India, and there will be valid reasons to sideline him from the format if he doesn't up his game. 

Shubman Gill's T20I performance regresses after comeback

(Shubman Gill's T20I career in two halves)

Observation and inference

Before getting sidelined from India's T20I squad, Shubman Gill amassed 578 runs, including three fifties and one century, at an average of 30.42 and a strike rate of 139.28. 

Since he has made his T20I comeback, Gill has managed 169 runs across nine innings, averaging 24.14 and striking at 148.25. This shows that his scoring rate has certainly improved; however, Gill has been less reliable than he used to be, sacrificing his consistency for the sake of becoming a more aggressive T20I batter. 

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Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad: India have upgrades of Gill

(Jaiswal vs Gill vs Gaikwad in T20I cricket)

While Shubman Gill's improved scoring rate has taken a toll on his consistency as a T20I batter, the case is exactly opposite for two of his biggest competitors, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Jaiswal has maintained an average of 36.1 while scoring at an incredible rate of 164.3. Meanwhile, Ruturaj Gaikwad averages the most among all three, striking at a better rate than Gill. 

So, these two players have been more consistent than Gill while also scoring at a brisker pace. These facts indicate that Jaiswal and Gaikwad have been better T20I anchors than Shubman Gill. 

Time is running out for Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill is India's vice-captain in T20Is and might soon replace Suryakumar Yadav, with the BCCI seeing him as the all-format skipper of the side. Although he has aced Test and ODI cricket, Gill has yet to convince the Indian think tank with his T20I prowess, scoring 747 runs across 30 innings. 

An average of 28.7 after 30 matches certainly doesn't justify his immense potential. So, with the team management backing him to the hilt, it's high time Gill should let his bat do the talking and justify his selection over the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad. But on the contrary, if he fails to deliver, it will not only free up an opening slot but also increase India's T20I captaincy headache. 

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