Have India tried to fix something that wasn\u2019t broken?<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen people raise questions about Shubman Gill being in the T20 setup, it never makes sense,\u201d said former India fast bowler Varun Aaron, shortly after the Indian vice-captain hit 46 off 39 balls in India\u2019s 48-run win over Australia in Gold Coast on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Irfan Pathan echoed the thought, saying Gill has a clear role in the T20I side<\/a> and executed it perfectly on a pitch that was not batting friendly.<\/p>\n In the fifth and final T20I in Brisbane \u2014 washed out due to rain \u2014 Gill looked even more proactive, smashing 29 off 16 and outpacing his opening partner, World No. 1 Abhishek Sharma. India blasted 52 for 0 in just 4.5 overs before the rain gods stepped in. Abhishek had an off-day, dropped twice and short of fluency, but Gill looked a million dollars at the Gabba, where free-flowing strokeplay was rewarded.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Abhishek put it bluntly: the partnership with Gill was no longer fire and ice \u2014 it was fire and fire.<\/p>\n Shubman Gill cracked four boundaries in the same over against Ben Dwarshuis. (AP Photo)\n<\/p>\n Most teams in world cricket would grab a batter like Shubman Gill at the top.<\/p>\n But does India\u2019s T20I side actually need him?<\/p>\n LESSON FROM PAINFUL PAST<\/p>\n To answer that, go back to the era when India looked dominant on paper but not on the scoreboard.<\/p>\n The T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022 were wake-up calls. India had Rohit, Kohli and Rahul, yet the big trophy stayed out of reach. The breaking point came in the 2022 semifinal: India crawled to 168 for 6 on a flat Adelaide pitch. England chased it down in 16 overs without losing a wicket.<\/p>\n That night flicked a switch in Rohit Sharma\u2019s head.<\/p>\n He felt India were batting with fear, protecting averages, and avoiding risk in a format that punishes caution. So he changed the culture. He attacked from ball one, sacrificing his own numbers to set the tone. The rest of the lineup received a licence to go hard.<\/p>\n How poetic of Rohit Sharma who decided to change his approach after that T20 World Cup SF 2022 exit against England to make an impact playing a crucial knock with intent against the same team in T20 WC SF 2204. pic.twitter.com\/pLqfqBLzqC<\/a>\u2014 Nibraz Ramzan (@nibraz88cricket) June 28, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n It worked.<\/p>\n T20 World Cup 2024: ChampionsChampions Trophy 2025: Winners<\/p>\n When Suryakumar Yadav took over after Rohit\u2019s retirement, he inherited a blueprint. Alongside Gautam Gambhir, he added even more spice to it.<\/p>\n THE OPENING PAIR ENGINES<\/p>\n The heart of India\u2019s new T20I dominance was the opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.<\/p>\n Abhishek had smashed the IPL. Samson was trusted again and sent up top to attack.<\/p>\n Together, they were a nightmare for bowlers in T20Is.<\/p>\n PartnershipInningsRunsAverageRun Rate50+ StandsAbhishek-Samson12267229.821<\/p>\n Then came Abhishek\u2013Gill:<\/p>\n PartnershipInningsRunsAverageRun Rate50+ Stands100+ StandAbhishek-Gill1448637.389.7831 (vs PAK)<\/p>\n So, numbers say they are similarly effective, even slightly better on paper.<\/p>\n But where have these runs come?<\/p>\n Abhishek\u2013Samson: 8 in India, 4 in South AfricaAbhishek\u2013Gill: 2 in Zimbabwe, 5 in Australia, 7 in UAE<\/p>\n Abhishek\u2013Samson mostly batted on batting paradises.<\/p>\n Abhishek\u2013Gill have delivered across tougher surfaces.<\/p>\n So why the debate?<\/p>\n THE REAL PROBLEM<\/p>\n Since Rohit retired, India have used four openers: Abhishek, Samson, Gill, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.<\/p>\n PlayerMatchesRunsStrike RateAbhishek Sharma26988192Sanju Samson13417182Yahsasvi Jaiswal6221170Shubman Gill19502136<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the problem: Gill\u2019s strike rate is under 150 \u2014 a non-negotiable in modern T20I cricket.<\/p>\n There\u2019s talk of him playing the \u201cVirat Kohli anchor role.\u201d But do India need an anchor when they bat powerfully and deep until No. 8 or No. 9?<\/p>\n This is where the domino effect starts.<\/p>\n THE RIPPLE EFFECT<\/p>\n With Shubman being forced into the mix since the Asia Cup, the Indian batting order has been impact heavily. It was less pronounced in the Asia Cup due to the quality of the opposition, but the Indian team was exposed against a second string Australian side in the recently concluded 5 T20Is.<\/p>\n Here’s the ripple impact on the rest of the line-up.<\/p>\n When Abhishek and Samson were firing:<\/p>\n Tilak Varma thrived in the top 4Suryakumar owned his slotFinishers like Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh got time in the middle<\/p>\n