Despite being dropped from India’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title defense last month, Shubman Gill is all set to receive one of the biggest honors in Indian cricket. According to PTI, the Indian Test and ODI captain will be named Cricketer of the Year at the annual Naman Awards by the Board of Control for Cricket in India on March 15.
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While Gill has a stellar Test and relatively good output in ODIs in 2025, his T20I struggles have left many confused about the title going to the 26-year-old.
The Indian batter has enjoyed a prolific run in Test cricket, scoring 983 runs during the year. A large part of this result came during India’s away series against the England Men’s National Cricket Team in 2025, where Gill amassed 754 runs at an average of 70 overs.
He was equally effective in the ODI format, scoring 490 runs, including 188 during India’s title campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy. Across formats, Gill amassed 1,764 runs at an average of 49, registering seven centuries and three half-centuries.
Gill also enjoyed a productive season in the Indian Premier League 2025, scoring 650 runs at an average of 50 for Gujarat Titans, continuing his strong form in franchise cricket.
WHAT HAPPENED TO GILL’S T20 WORLD CUP SNUB?
Despite his success in Tests and ODIs, Gill has struggled to secure his place in India’s T20 setup.
He was recalled to the side during the Asia Cup, leading India to break the opening combination of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. Gill was also named vice-captain, with the team management supporting him at the top of the order.
However, the move forced Samson into the middle order despite scoring three centuries in quick succession as an opener. This also reduced opportunities for Rinka Singh as a finisher.
The experiment continued for 15 T20Is, but Gill failed to cement his place. During this period he scored 291 runs at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26.
His struggles continued during the series against the South African national cricket team where he managed just 32 runs in three matches and eventually missed out on the final T20I of the year in Ahmedabad.
However, the selection call ended up working well for India. Samson and Ishan Kishan finished as India’s top two run-scorers in the tournament, helping the team become the first team to successfully defend the World T20 title.
Gill will now look to bounce back in the shortest format during the upcoming IPL season. He once again leads Gujarat Titans and will begin his IPL 2026 campaign against Punjab Kings on March 31, a match that could offer him the perfect platform to reassert his T20 cricket.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
12 March 2026 14:23 IST
