Ex-India Star Reflects On Shubman Gill's T20 World Cup Snub: "Tried To Play In A Different Manner"

Shubman Gill-led Indian cricket team is set to take on New Zealand in a three-match ODI series, starting January 11. The India captain will be making a comeback after missing out on the side's T20 World Cup squad. Gill was initially preferred over Sanju Samson as an opener with Abhishek Sharma, but his poor returns saw him being dropped. On the other hand, Samson made the cut in India's 15-member team for the T20 mega event that takes place in February-March this year.

While talking about Gill's T20 World Cup snub, ex-India all-rounder Irfan Pathan pointed out that Gill tried to play differently, and that approach didn't work for him.

Gill made his T20I return ahead of the Asia Cup in 2025. To include him as an opener, India pushed Sanju Samson down the order and eventually dropped him. The move backfired as Gill failed to impress, often losing his wicket while trying to go hard at the bowlers from the start. His poor string of performances saw the team management reinstating Samson as an opener in T20Is and retaining him for the T20 World Cup.

"Two players are making comebacks -- Captain and vice-captain. Who are they? Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer. If you look at Gill, he is making a comeback after an injury, but also making a return after losing his spot in India's T20 World Cup squad. You got chances, you tried to play in a different manner," said Pathan on his YouTube channel.

The ex-India player backed Gill to do well in the ODI format.

"But now, you have come to a format, in which you have been much comfortable. You have an amazing average. Yes, your ODI average has dipped a bit in the recent past. But he is a solid player. He will be expected to take the team forward upon his return. Since Gill is back, Yashasvi Jaiswal will sit out," he added.

Topics mentioned in this article

Cricket India Cricket Team New Zealand Cricket Team India vs New Zealand 2026 Shubman Gill Irfan Pathan