Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan rarely holds back. He gave another reality check to India’s T20I team, who pushed out Sanju Samson to bring back Shubman Gill as the new vice-captain and opening batsman. With Gill struggling to perform as solidly as Samson did before, Pathan believes the clock is ticking and we are reaching a point of no return.
WITH Gill at the top of the order, it is a given that he struggled adapt to the demands of the format, at least as far as international cricket is concerned. With 263 runs in 14 matches since the Asia Cup, the pressure is mounting for his place in the team.
Initially, Samson was demoted to the middle order, but with a lack of consistent performances in the role, Jitesh Sharma was ordered instead of being the designated wicketkeeper, and as a result, Samson finds himself on the bench.
That’s exactly what the former fast bowler pointed out when he considered how his time on the bench could lead to his game becoming rustier and India finding themselves in a position where they are forced to pick an out-of-shape opening batter.
“The runs not coming from Gill’s bat is a bad sign and increases the pressure on him and the team management. They will ask what to do. This situation should not worsen,” commented JioStar Irfan Pathan.
“If the runs are still not coming, you can’t just bring Sanju Samson back and expect him to perform if he is also rusty. There are many questions. If he goes back to Samson, it will be very important for him to score runs,” he added.
BIG CALLING?
With the T20 World Cup 2026 coming up, this will be one of India’s top priorities to address. It cannot be overstated how important an opener is when it comes to a big tournament like the World Cup.
The pressure will be on the management led by Gautam Gambhir and Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav to ensure that they can resolve this issue and head into the World Cup with all guns blazing.
– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
December 12, 2025
