Indian ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill is set to be named Cricketer of the Year at the BCCI annual gala, scheduled to take place on March 15 in New Delhi. He garnered 1,764 runs across all formats at an average of 49, with seven centuries and three fifties. However, Gill’s path towards becoming India all-format captain took a major hit when he was dropped from India’s 2026 T20 World Cup squad due to bad form.
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Notably, the opening batter served as T20I team’s vice-captain in the 2025 Asia Cup, Australia tour and the five-match home series against South Africa. However, the lack of runs resulted in him getting overlooked for the marquee event. Let’s take a detailed look at Shubman Gill’s T20I performance and the reasons why he failed to be part of the World Cup-winning squad.
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Shubman Gill’s Disappointing Form Affected India’s Morale in T20Is
Shubman Gill made a comeback to the Indian T20I side after 14 months in August 2025 and was even elevated as a vice-captain. He served as the deputy to Suryakumar Yadav, who took the reins from Rohit Sharma after the title-winning 2024 T20 World Cup campaign. He replaced all-rounder Axar Patel as the vice-captain. It was a mediocre first tournament after a comeback for Gill, as he could contribute only 127 runs in seven innings of the Asia Cup. Although, India eventually won the title, many among the cricket fraternity criticized him for having an under-par average of 21.16.
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Shubman Gill’s captaincy pressure was nowhere to be seen in the away Test series against England in June-July and fared brilliantly by scoring a double hundred. However, he had a lean patch in the shortest format. The three-match T20I series on Australian soil witnessed the right-hander registering scores of 37*, 5 & 15. He was expected to rise to the occasion in home conditions against South Africa, which was a preparatory tour for the T20 World Cup.
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However, Shubman Gill’s T20I performance saw a major downfall in the series, where he could accumulate only 32 runs in three innings. He was dropped from the XI for the final two games. Gill’s key concerns were failing to convert his starts into big knocks and playing with a low strike rate. With head coach Gautam Gambhir’s mantra of going hard in the powerplay and garner as many runs as possible, he seemed to be a misfit due to his playing style and inability to secure hitting momentum early in his innings.
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Since his return to the Indian T20I team, Gill could score only 291 runs at an average of 24.25, with a top knock of 47. His consistent failures resulted in India not getting a positive start, which put pressure on the middle order. Many considered Shubman Gill to be taking over the leadership across all formats, but his dismal performances in the T20Is resulted in him failing to make it a reality.
Related Article：Shubman Gill Ruled Out of T20 World Cup — Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan Step Into Spotlight
Can Shubman Gill Return to Indian T20I Squad and Become India All-Format Captain?
In a recent video on his YouTube channel, former cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra opined that it might not be easy for Shubman Gill to find his way back in the T20I setup. He also opined on why Shubman Gill can’t be India all-format captain in the near future. As per Chopra, the Indian team doesn’t need an anchor like Gill, when they are scoring 200+ scores consistently in the T20I format. Moreover, he also feels that in order to accommodate him in the shortest format, his form in the other two formats might take a hit and impact his career.
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Shubman Gill’s captaincy pressure was expected in the initial games of his Test and ODI career. But, the talented batter managed to level the Test series 2-2 in England, while securing India’s biggest win on foreign soil by 336 runs. He scored 754 runs in 10 innings, which is the second-most runs scored by a player in a Test series. Meanwhile, he has had a mixed start with a 2-1 series win against South Africa and a 2-1 loss against New Zealand in the 50-over format. However, he is projected to be one of the country’s finest ODI batters until he hangs up his boots, currently holding an average of 55.71 in 61 games. The ODI captaincy suits his playing style and he could end up being a successful leader for the national team.
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If handed the leadership duties across all three formats, Shubman Gill’s captaincy pressure might result in him going out of form and not finding enough time to adjust to formats. He is a special player for the Test and the ODI formats, where he can pace his innings better and bring laurels to the Indian team. To sum it up, Gill should stick to the longer formats and the selectors should continue to back him as a leader for a longer run. Meanwhile, they need to carry on with a different player as a captain for the T20I format.
