With a fresh wave of young performers setting the IPL stage alight, Shubman Gill says he is determined to sharpen his skills and fight his way back into India’s T20I reckoning. The Gujarat Titans batter, who has been operating under the pressure of competition for India’s shortest-format spots, insists his focus is simple: keep improving as a T20 player, while also building strength for ODI and Test cricket.
Gill’s T20I focus and the road back
Gill’s most recent appearance in a T20I came against South Africa at home in December 2025. However, he did not make India’s squad for the T20 World Cup earlier in the year, following a run of underwhelming performances in the preceding season.
Ahead of the Gujarat Titans’ IPL final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gill addressed his mindset and selection hopes. He said he would be pleased to play if he receives a call-up to the T20 side, but emphasized that his work on his game continues regardless of outcomes.
He also made it clear that his preparation hasn’t slipped because he has been outside India’s T20I plans. In his view, staying mentally fresh is about knowing exactly what needs attention week to week—whether that is the next few weeks, the next series, or the next tournament.
Gill’s message was that success comes from controlling what is within his power—refining the areas he needs to execute well—and aligning with what the team must do to deliver on the day.
- Gill last featured in a T20I versus South Africa at home in December 2025.
- He missed the earlier-year T20 World Cup squad after a series of below-par outings in the previous year.
- He says he wants to keep getting better as a T20 batter, and also as an ODI and Test batter.
- He believes mental sharpness comes from structured preparation for upcoming weeks, series, and tournaments.
2025 numbers and what Gill is chasing
Gill’s T20I output in 2025 reflected the struggles that kept him out of the T20 World Cup conversation. Across 15 T20 matches that year, he managed 291 runs at an average of 24.25, with his best score in that stretch being 47.
Despite the challenges of chasing perfection in a format as demanding as T20 cricket, Gill underlined his willingness to keep striving. He stressed that while the sport never allows players to become fully “perfect,” continuous improvement is the goal.
IPL 2026 impact: second on the Orange Cap list
Gill insists the absence from India’s T20I setup has not hampered his preparation, and his IPL 2026 numbers back that belief. He has already accumulated 722 runs in the tournament for Gujarat Titans, which has him placed second on the Orange Cap list at this stage.
Even so, Gill acknowledges that the race for India’s top-order T20I positions is getting louder. He says two more contenders have emerged for the opening spot—one he has often occupied.
New challengers: Sooryavanshi and Sai Sudharsan
Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has made a strong case for an elevated role, with Gill pointing to the way the batter has dominated opposition this season. Sooryavanshi has currently produced 776 runs, leading the tournament’s scoring charts, and has done so by taking on established bowlers with confidence.
Gill described Sooryavanshi’s season as “remarkable,” saying he has not seen anyone bat in the manner he does at the moment. He believes that, in this format, Sooryavanshi is among the best batters in the world right now—not only because of the boundaries, but also because of his biomechanics and hand speed regardless of the opposition.
Gill further suggested that in the years ahead, the teams Sooryavanshi faces will find it difficult to deal with him.
Gill’s own opening partner at Gujarat Titans, Sai Sudharsan, has also been piling up runs and turning heads. This IPL season, Sudharsan has amassed 710 runs, strengthening his claim as a T20 specialist.
Gill said one of the key challenges he has seen in a tournament like the IPL—especially once you start playing regularly—is maintaining the same intensity across a packed schedule. In his assessment, that is precisely Sudharsan’s biggest strength.
Gill explained that playing so many matches can bring days where a player’s mental or physical state dips below the standard. Yet Sudharsan, in Gill’s view, manages to keep intensity consistent and prepares with the same routine and mindset game after game—something Gill described as not easy to sustain.
He added that Sudharsan’s consistency extends beyond cricket, with routines and life outside the sport helping him show up consistently on the field as well.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Rajasthan Royals): 776 runs, currently leading the season’s run charts.
- Sai Sudharsan (Gujarat Titans): 710 runs, highlighting his T20 credentials.
