Mumbai: India’s top-order riches in T20 cricket are the envy of the world. The Player of the Tournament from India’s last World Cup win has had to make way for the outrageously talented Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. While Sanju Samson may be sulking, even Ishan Kishan, despite the bucketload of runs he has scored recently, would be on his toes. And it’s a good thing Abhishek Sharma hasn’t lost any of his edge between the World Cup and now, because his good friend and India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill would also be eyeing a T20I comeback.
In this logjam, Gill may currently be trailing in the pecking order. But can you ever rule out a batter who rarely fails to score runs, and is presently out of the mix only because his batting style is a shade less forceful than the others? Gill may not have the six-first approach as some of his competitors in India’s T20 set up do, but his risk-free batting has its merits.
“The selectors will choose whoever they have to. But Shubman does what he does – mount a compelling case by getting runs, be superb in the field and lead from the front,” Matthew Hayden told HT, while being a co-owner of Glasgow Cosmic in the upcoming European T20 Premier League.
“At the moment, he may be challenged by the modern landscape of T20 cricket but that will prick the inner athlete in him to try and get better and evolve, which he was trying to do during the IPL and did so very successfully.”
IPL 2026 was Sooryavanshi’s (776 runs, SR 237) stage to shine. But Gill was the league’s Mr. Consistent. The second highest run scorer of the season with his 732 runs at SR of 162. After the IPL, Gill has kept up with his voracious appetite for runs with scores of 126, 86* and 154 in the ODI series against Afghanistan.
Hayden worked closely with Gill during the IPL as Gujarat Titans batting coach and came out impressed.
“Shubman is a player who is still wanting to be the No.1 player in the world, and has that energy and drive to maintain that status,” the former Australian batter said. “You didn’t see Mohammed Ali backing down to anyone. While Shubman may be a less confrontational player than Ali, he wants to be the person in charge and will fight for it. We saw that in the IPL.”
Every time the pitches have deviated from the batting-friendly plonk-you-foot-down and swing mode, as seen during India’s league matches of the T20 World Cup and the Ireland series, Indian uber-aggressive batters have been found wanting. This would always keep Gill in conversation for future selection. That time may not be now, though, with India’s immediate focus on next year’s ODI World Cup.
What the 26-year-old right-hander also brings to the table is his level headedness. Gill’s first reaction after missing the World Cup squad where he said he “respected the selector’s decision” and “wished the team lifted the trophy,” was quite instructive.
“He has a very mature head and a very consistent leadership style. I think consistency is a very important value in the game,” said Hayden. “Ever since I have known cricket, the best player—the bloke who has the most knowledge, the most drive and energy to support the other ten players he is playing with, can set the standard of the competition—is usually made the captain. Shubman has all those qualities.”
