Shubman Gill may be wearing the India leadership role in Tests and ODIs, but the Gujarat Titans captain hasn’t closed the door on a return to the national T20I fold. Ahead of the IPL 2026 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the opener made it clear that he is still working with the goal of making himself harder to ignore in cricket’s shortest international format, even if he has recently found himself outside the selectors’ immediate plans.
The 26-year-old last featured for India in a T20 International during the home series against South Africa in December 2025. After a tough spell in T20Is, Gill was then left out of the squad for this year’s T20 World Cup, where India went on to defend their title. Still, he insisted that his motivation to represent India in T20 cricket remains undimmed. “I’d be happy to play if I get picked for the T20 team,” he said, adding that rather than getting pulled into the noise around selection, he prefers to concentrate on development.
Gill believes improvement has to be continuous, regardless of the format. “Honestly, I want to keep working on my game. I want to keep getting better as a T20 batsman, as an ODI batsman, as a Test batsman,” he stated. His recent T20I numbers reflect why that mindset matters. In 2025, across 15 matches, he scored 291 runs at an average of 24.25, with a top score of 47. That difficult run ultimately cost him his place in the side as competition for opening spots intensified.
Since then, the depth of India’s T20 batting has only increased further. Sanju Samson has solidified his position after delivering a standout T20 World Cup campaign, while Abhishek Sharma has continued to build on his growing reputation. On top of that, the rise of 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has added a new layer to the challenge, with Rajasthan Royals’ emerging talent smashing 776 runs in this IPL season at a strike rate of over 237.
With so many players pushing for limited opportunities, Gill acknowledged that perfection is not something cricketers can ever claim. Yet his approach remains one of steady pursuit rather than regret. “You know, cricket is such a game that you can never really get perfect, but obviously, you can strive for it, and that’s what I try to do,” he said.
For the IPL final, Gill arrives in rhythm and with strong returns behind him. He has accumulated 722 runs this season, maintaining an average of 48.13 and a strike rate of 163.72. One of his most eye-catching knocks came in Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals, where he struck 104 off 53 balls, a performance that underlined both his timing and ability to change gears when it matters.
Gill also credited his mental freshness to how he has managed the build-up. In his view, staying locked into preparation rather than getting drawn into outside discussions has helped him remain focused across the long IPL campaign. “I think preparation is what keeps me mentally fresh, knowing what I need to do the next week, next couple of weeks or in the next series or next tournament, and preparing for that,” he explained.
Beyond routine, Gill pointed to a simple principle for dealing with the pressures that come with international cricket: clarity about what can be influenced. “It’s about knowing the things that are in my control or knowing the things that I need to do well to be able to succeed and what we need to do well as a team to be able to succeed is what I think keeps me mentally fit,” he said.
A direct return to India’s T20I setup may not happen immediately, given how crowded the competition has become. However, Gill’s IPL 2026 form has at least reopened the debate around his place in the shortest-format conversation. With the final still to come, the Gujarat Titans captain will be looking to add another impactful innings with the bat and further strengthen his case.
