Former India batter Mohammad Kaif believes there is a hidden agenda behind Shubman Gill being given an extended run in T20 cricket while proven performers like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson continue to be overlooked.
The debate around Gill’s place in India’s T20 side has been simmering for some time, but it has now grown louder. Questions are being asked across Indian cricket about why Gill continues to get so many chances in the shortest format. Kaif has been vocal on the issue for a while and feels there is a clear case of double standards. In his view, the time has come to rest Gill and give players like Sanju Samson or others a fair and consistent opportunity.
The discussion gained traction around three months ago when Gill was recalled to India’s T20 squad for the Asia Cup. Since then, doubts have been raised over the logic behind his inclusion. Gill is already India’s Test and ODI captain, and while his T20 numbers are not poor and his IPL record is strong, India currently have better-suited options for the format.
Before Gill’s return, Samson was batting in the top order and performing well. At one stage last year, he even created history by scoring three centuries in five innings. Although he failed to impress in the England series earlier this year, Gill was brought back as an opener ahead of the Asia Cup. Samson was then pushed down to No. 3, later to No. 5, and eventually dropped from the XI altogether. This happened despite Samson being a proven T20 batter who also contributes as a wicketkeeper.
There has also been discussion in Indian media that Gill has been pushed into the T20 side to make him the “poster boy” of Indian cricket in the post-Kohli and Rohit era. However, his performances have not backed up that narrative. Since his return, Gill has failed to score a single half-century in 14 innings. In the ongoing series against South Africa, he managed just four runs in the first match and was dismissed for a golden duck in the second.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif said Gill has been burdened with far too much responsibility, and his desperation to prove himself is leading to repeated failures.
“I’ve said this before — Shubman Gill has been given too much responsibility. Test captaincy, ODI leadership, T20 vice-captaincy… no player can carry so much weight at the same time. It’s simply not possible. Responsibility should be handed out gradually.”
Kaif also pointed to Gill’s dismissals as evidence of mounting pressure.
“Look at the way he’s getting out repeatedly — caught in the slips, stepping out of the crease and mistiming shots, trying to bat aggressively like Abhishek Sharma and losing his wicket. He’s trying too many things at once. I feel the time has come to give him a break and try players who are already proven. Sanju Samson is a top-quality cricketer but hasn’t been given enough chances.”
Kaif also highlighted the case of Yashasvi Jaiswal. The opener has an outstanding T20 record for India, scoring one century and five fifties in 23 matches, with an average of 36.15 and a strike rate of 164.31. His IPL numbers are equally impressive — he scored 559 runs last season at a strike rate of 159. Despite this, Jaiswal has barely been given opportunities in T20 internationals over the past 18 months.
Kaif dismissed the idea that Gill cannot be dropped because he is the vice-captain.
“There should be no double standards. Vice-captains have been dropped before. For the team’s benefit, Gill should be rested and someone else should be tried. There’s nothing wrong with that. The time for change has come. A player like Jaiswal has been left out, Samson keeps getting benched without consistent chances, despite scoring heavily as an opener. He scored three centuries in five innings — something no one had done before in T20 cricket.”
He concluded by saying the imbalance in opportunities has now become impossible to ignore.
“Some players are getting very few chances, while others are being given extended runs simply because the team wants to stick with them. That’s clearly visible. But now the pressure has increased so much that I believe it’s time for change.”
