With T20 World Cup just away, Shubman Gill will face intense scrutiny in his comeback bid

Shubman Gill has now made a comeback into the Indian team after recovering from a painful neck injury. In his absence, India suffered a 0-2 defeat in the Tests and that must have hurt him a lot. For someone who has scored 1,000 runs in the calendar year and one who is also the captain, it must have been hugely difficult to see his side go down in Kolkata in a game that should have been won. However, bygones are bygones and Gill will be looking to make the shortest format his own as he continues to step out to open with Abhishek Sharma in the ongoing series.  

This is the one format where Gill has struggled the most. In red-ball cricket, he is now India’s best bet. The England series was an example how Gill has turned the corner in difficult batting conditions. The Manchester innings, for example, stood out and there are no questions over his ability in red-ball cricket. In 50-overs cricket, Gill does have the extra time to get in and then cash in. Much like what Jaiswal did in Vizag. However, in the new T20 template, does he really fit in is a question that has continuously been doing the rounds.  

Gill had a modest Asia Cup and thereafter was decent in the T20 series in Australia. His batting style, hugely pleasing to the eye, doesn’t really let him go hammer and tongs from ball one and in the new template, that’s not what teams are opting for. Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head have this innate boundary-hitting ability and that’s what has completely transformed T20 batting globally. Yashaswi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi are the two who come close to doing the same and in many ways are waiting in the wings for an opportunity.

What all this sums up to is Gill will yet again face intense scrutiny is his latest comeback effort. A couple of failures and he will be attacked and his place questioned. With the T20 World Cup just two months away, this is all the more likely to happen. India needs to zero in on the final eleven and Gill, the vice captain, needs to be in good form.  

While there are questions to be asked of Gill, there are no concerns over Hardik Pandya. He continues to be India’s best white-ball all-rounder by a distance and his return will give the team the balance that it lacked in Australia. Hardik can not only open the bowling like he was doing in the Asia Cup, he can also win the game with the bat and also on the field. An incredible athlete, he could be the most important player for India in the next few months.  

For head coach Gautam Gambhir, this is the format of choice. He has an excellent track record in T20 cricket and with the World Cup in sniffing distance, Gautam will leave no stone unturned in getting every position sorted. Bumrah, too, is back for him and as Ravichandran Ashwin so aptly said, “Whenever you are in trouble, just go to Bumrah.”  

This series marks the beginning of the final home stretch. As defending champions, India will surely feel the pressure. But then the new generation of stars like Abhishek have started to enjoy pressure as was evident in the games against Pakistan in Dubai.  

For the captain Suryakumar Yadav, this is his opportunity to seek immortality. Winning a World Cup as captain is the biggest thing possible and he does have a gun team to do that in February 2026. But for that to happen, he will also need to lead with the bat. A good 30-ball 47 in SMAT means Surya is striking it well and a captain in form always helps the team.  

In every sense, this series is of real significance. What happens with the dew and how it impacts games is another thing that will be of real concern for the teams. February isn’t the end of winter in India and chances are there will be dew in venues like Delhi and Kolkata.  

Clearly, there is a lot to play for and get ready. You don’t want to leave anything to chance in the World Cup and this is your time to get things planned the best.