As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 prepared to begin on March 28, all eyes were on Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill. While Gill remains the cornerstone of India’s senior pack in the longer formats, his absence in the shortest format at the international level has become a major talking point in the cricketing world. According to former India Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, the fire from the recent T20 World Cup snub was exactly what could have propelled Gill to a career-defining season.
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Decision of selectors skip Gill from T20 World Cup was considered by many to be the definitive and bold key to the high-octane DNA for the national party. Despite his status as India’s Test and ODI captain, Gill’s struggle to consistently maintain the ultra-aggressive strike rate required by the modern T20 template led the committee to favor a more explosive opening combination.
While the move was hailed by pundits as a strategic imperative, it denied the 26-year-old the opportunity to claim silver in the shortest format on home soil.
In an interview on JioHotstar’s ‘Game Plan – Know Your Team’, Cheteshwar Pujara explained why this tactical leap would serve as powerful fuel for the GT skipper:
“T20 World Cup squad will definitely start Shubman Gill. He is a quality player suitable for all three formats. If he has a good season in IPL 2026, he will definitely make a name for himself in the Indian T20I team. He is leading the Test team and also the ODI captain. He is a multi-format player for the Indian team, he will be a good player in the Indian season.”
“SPEED UP A LITTLE MORE”
Despite international failure, Gill will enter IPL 2026 on the back of a statistically impressive season in 2025. Last year, Gill amassed 650 runs at an average of 50.00 and finished as the tournament’s fourth-highest run-scorer. More importantly, he showed a conscious effort to develop and recorded a strike rate of 155.88, a significant jump from his career average of 138.72.
However, the Titans fell short in Eliminator 2025 and the anchor brand continued to overshadow the reputation of the Gill T20. Pujara believes this season has offered Gill the ideal platform to silence the strike debate once and for all.
“There will be some pressure on him because he hasn’t been part of the Indian team in the shortest format. But at the same time, it’s a great opportunity for him to continue batting the way he has. He has to try to pick up a bit of speed because he’s been working on it. This IPL season is ideal for him to show that he can bat at 150-160,” Pujara added.
Shubman Gill appeared in high spirits at the recently concluded BCCI Naman Awards. The Test captain was awarded the BCCI Cricketer of the Year Award for his performances in the longest format of the game and One Day Internationals. When Gill returns to lead the Titans in IPL 2026, he will be looking to make his mark in the T20 format.
Gujarat begin their campaign against last year’s finalists, Punjab Kings, in Mullanpur on April 1.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
21 March 2026 14:09 IST
