Shubman Gill did not enjoy a good Border-Gavaskar Trophy. After missing the first Test due to injury, Gill could not perform in the second and third Tests, leading to him being dropped for the fourth. When he came back for the fifth Test, Gill once again failed to score big despite getting a start. Former India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Subramaniam Badrinath has lashed out at Gill, stating that had he been from another state, he would've been dropped from the side.
"If this was Shubman Gill from Tamil Nadu, he would have been dropped," Badrinath was quoted as telling Star Sports Tamil by Hindustan Times.
"It is very difficult for me to see this. For that level, he has not lived up to expectations. You can get runs, you cannot, but there should have been intent and aggression. I wanted him to tire out the bowlers. I want you to make the ball old. Help your teammates and stand firm even if runs are not coming. Play 100 balls, tire the bowlers," Badrinath said.
Gill scored only 93 runs in the three Tests that he played, with a best score of just 31.
Badrinath's criticism for Gill did not stop there, as he stated that Gill had even been a liability on the field.
"You must not go there and say, oh, this is the way I play. I will stand and deliver. Whatever you can do, at that time, you try to do. In this series, I did not get it from Shubman. Even on the field, he was poor. He couldn't stay in slip and point. What does he contribute to the team?," Badrinath stated.
Hailed as one of India's stars for the future, Gill plays for Punjab in domestic cricket, and has even worked under the tutelage of legendary India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh. Badrinath, on the other hand, hails from Tamil Nadu, and he played seven ODIs, two Tests and one T20I for the national team.