India’s T20I side was becoming one of the most feared teams in history, but Shubman Gill’s return at the top has stirred the batting order, writes Sarah Waris.
Back in 2022, India reached the semi-final of yet another white-ball tournament, but their T20 World Cup campaign laid bare fundamental flaws. The issues began at the top, with the opening pair of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul scoring at just 4.98 runs per over, a rate higher only than UAE, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. The semi-final against England epitomised the struggle after Rahul fell early, Rohit laboured through 27 off 28 balls, and Virat Kohli took 40 deliveries for his fifty. Hardik Pandya offered a late surge, but it was not enough. The lesson was simple: In the modern T20 game, India could no longer afford to play catch-up, and their batting approach needed a decisive change.
Rohit responded by leading from the front, setting a template for others to follow. His aggressive approach in the 2023 ODI World Cup was a highlight, and the team’s subsequent 2024 T20 World Cup triumph showed that a proactive top order could be sustained. After the captain-coach duo of Rohit and Rahul Dravid stepped away from T20Is, Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir inherited that blueprint with much success. Between August 1, 2024 and August 31, 2025, India's batters struck at 163.32 in T20Is, the best in world cricket during that span. The side won ten of its twelve matches, with India making more than 200 on six occasions and 220 on four, as whispers began circulating that this India might be the greatest T20I team in history.
Moving away from what worked (ft. Shubman Gill's surprise selection)
Shubman Gill, who had not featured in T20Is since July 2024 and who had in the interim assumed the captaincy in Tests and ODIs, was recalled for the Asia Cup - picked ahead of the more versatile and fearsome Yashasvi Jaiswal - and named vice-captain, a move reflecting long-term leadership planning and India’s search for an all-format star. It was, without a doubt, a surprise pick. Gill’s T20 career strike rate of 138.89 up until that point categorised him as an anchor, the very type of player India had consciously moved away from in their modern T20 setup. The consequences of shoehorning him back into the team have been both immediate and measurable.
Since Gill has returned to open alongside Abhishek Sharma, India’s powerplay strike rate reads 159.17, but that figure masks how lopsided the partnership has become: Abhishek has produced 330 runs in 11 innings at an average of 66 and a strike rate of 195.27, with 17 sixes, while Gill’s returns stand at 179 runs at 29.83 and a strike rate of 144.35 with only two sixes. Overall, Gill has made 230 runs since his comeback with a strike rate below 140 (139.39) and an average of 25.55. He has crossed 40 only twice, while five of his innings ended under 15. This points to inconsistency and a tempo that clashes with India’s preferred T20 approach.
During the fourth T20I against Australia, Gill, who was on 26 off 19 when Abhishek was dismissed, managed just 11 runs from his next 14 balls, even as Shivam Dube and Suryakumar accelerated. Axar Patel’s late hitting carried India to 167, but Gill’s innings, which came at a strike rate of 117.95, left much to be desired. If anything, it felt like a reversion to the old template that India had consciously tried to eradicate. Similarly, when India were 10 for 2 chasing 147 in the Asia Cup final, the kind of collapse that demands a steady, composed response, Gill fell to a flat-batted pull for a 10-ball 12, leaving the middle order to fight back under increased pressure.
The impact of this sudden reshuffle has extended far beyond the top of the order. Between August 2024 and August 2025, Sanju Samson, having finally been given an extended run, scored 417 runs in 12 matches at an average of 37.90 and a strike rate of 183.70, including three hundreds. His opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma struck at 9.82 runs per over, consistently providing India with fiery starts. With Gill now drafted to open, Samson has been pushed down the order, where he has managed just 134 runs at a strike rate of 121.81. At times, he has been replaced by wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma, who has also assumed finishing duties, raising questions about the need to alter the role of a player in such prolific form.
Meanwhile, Suryakumar is struggling for rhythm, and with both Tilak Varma and Gill occupying anchor roles, the team has one anchor too many. But Tilak has played two miracle knocks just this year, so dropping him is not an option. With Samson batting out of position, there’s a specialist batter too many, and they have been forced to slot all-rounders into finishing duties that might have been better suited to Rinku Singh. It has led them to play with only three specialist bowlers, increasing the pressure on the batting line-up to produce higher totals. Innings like Gill’s against Australia then prove a liability with this balance. The result is a lineup that feels unsettled, chaotic, and far removed from the cohesion that had driven recent success.
Since the start of the Asia Cup, five of India’s top-seven regular batters - Gill, Suryakumar, Samson, Dube and Hardik (out majorly due to injury) average below 30 and strike under 140, a sharp decline compared to the August 2024–August 2025 period when only one player, Rinku, found a name on that stat. The change could be due to a collective loss of form of the batting order, the recent loss of clarity, or both.
Gill’s value to India’s Test and ODI teams is undeniable, and his leadership credentials are well earned, especially after how impressively he handled a young side in the England Tests. Yet, even with victories in the Asia Cup and the T20I series against Australia, India risk a misstep by integrating a player who may lack a second gear.
The question remains: will the team bend backwards for an individual, or will they find individuals that fit into a system that was consciously integrated by a captain after the horrors of the 2022 World Cup? The answer determines where Indian cricket is headed.
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