The T20 World Cup will definitely wake up Shubman Gill as Gujarat Titans captain, former Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara prepares for the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Gill, who was promoted to Test and ODI captaincy last year, has not been at his best in the shortest format of the game and IPL 2026 could be the perfect audition for the 26-year-old to reclaim his place in the T20I setup.
After IPL 2025, Gill led India to a 2-2 Test series draw in England apart from his scintillating performance with the bat. However, things went downhill for the right-hander after he suffered a neck injury in the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata. Although he returned for the T20I series against the Proteas, he was again ruled out of the last two matches due to a leg injury after scoring just 32 runs in the first three.
With IPL 2026 just a week away, Pujara noted that a good season with the bat will bring Gill back into India’s scheme of things in T20Is. “The T20 World Cup snub will definitely kickstart Shubman Gill. He is a quality player suitable for all three formats,” Pujara said on the JioHotstar show.
“If he has a good season in IPL 2026, he will definitely make it to the Indian T20I team. He leads the Test team and is also the ODI captain. He is a multi-format player. If he has a good season, he will come back into the scheme of things for the Indian team,” added the former Test regular.
After playing his first four IPL seasons with Kolkata Knight Riders, Gill actually flourished in Gujarat Titans colours. After an average debut season with Gujarat Titans, Gill turned heads in 2023 as he amassed 890 runs, which was instrumental in the franchise’s second-place finish.
With 650 runs the previous season, the pressure will be on Gill again. Pujara felt it was a great opportunity for the Gujarat Titans captain. “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 needs to try and speed up a bit more because that’s something he’s been working on. This IPL season is perfect for him to show that he can bat at 150-160,” Pujara added.
