Shubman Gill (Image: GT/IPL) Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has called Shubman Gill a bit of a don who should enter the season “really hungry” to make a comeback in India’s T20I side and urged him not to chase a high strike rate and play normally. Having been knocked out of the T20 World Cup after running out as the team’s vice-captain leading into the tournament, Gill will be looking to be among the most active and score as quickly as possible to regain his place in India’s T20I berth.Gill was recalled to the T20I side as its vice-captain and Sanju Samson was dropped and sometimes played down the order to accommodate Gill at the top. However, Gill’s experiment to become a tri-format player failed as he managed just 291 runs in 15 innings at an average of 24.25, with a strike rate of 137.26 and a best score of 47.
Dropped out before the World Cup
Gill was dropped ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup after Ishan Kishan made a surprise comeback from a sensational domestic season and Samson was restored to the opening position. In his T20I career so far, Gill has scored 869 runs in 36 innings at an average of 28.03 and a strike rate of over 137, with a century and three fifties to his credit. Gill, unlike his IPL career, has spent much of his T20I career either failing or failing to convert a promising start into something substantial. Talk to him YouTube Channel, Ashwin said that dismissing Gill at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad would be difficult and advised him to “rob runs” and not worry about the strike rate. “To dismiss him in Ahmedabad, he’s become a bit of a don these days; it’s quite difficult to get him out. So I think Shubman Gill has nothing to worry about and if I were him, I’d tell myself to go out and plunder the runs one more time. The best way to keep yourself in the count is to make a lot of runs. He’ll be the best batting at kaki’A GT.” He also said he saw Gill up close and also his love for batting. The legendary all-rounder added that scoring runs is “like a hobby” for Gill. He encouraged Gill to play normally and expressed faith in his shooting range. “I have no doubt that Shubman will go about his business with the bat, just like last year. If Shubman continues to chase strike rate and not score runs, then GT will struggle a lot. I hope he doesn’t. Gill has a lot of skills. He can score runs without chasing a high strike rate. If he plays normal cricket, what kind of strikes does he not have?” added Ashwin. Ashwin said Gill might even win the Orange Cap for a second time as he would do whatever it takes to get back into contention in the T20I team. “With the top three of Gill, Sudharsan and Buttler, Gill will go into the season really hungry. We will get another season where Gill is chasing the Orange Cap. He might as well get the Orange Cap because he can and will do anything to get back into the T20I team,” he signed off.
Likeness of Shubman Gill
The current GT skipper is the highest run-getter in the 2020 decade in the IPL, scoring 3,367 runs at an average of 40.56 in 91 innings at a strike rate of 139.70, including four centuries and 22 fifties. His 890-run season in 2023, which included three centuries and four fifties in 17 innings at a strike rate of over 157, was an outstanding season.Gill has an exceptional IPL record at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, which serves as the home ground for Gujarat Titans. He scored 1283 runs in 26 matches.
