India’s former all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill must now “cement” his place in the T20I team. Gill missed the second Test and the ODI series against South Africa due to a neck spasm but has returned for the T20I series starting December 9 in Cuttack.
On JioStar’s ‘Follow the Blues’ show, Pathan said Gill needs to make a mark at the top of the order. Pathan said: “Shubman Gill should cement his place at the top of the order in T20 cricket. We believe in all-format players. We have seen how well he plays in the IPL. Now, he has a chance to cement his place in India’s T20 International side. There is a little pressure, but he is a good player. I hope he performs well in this five-match T20I series against South Africa. He is coming back from a small injury. He will get a lot of opportunities across five matches on good pitches. The pitches will have pace and bounce, like in Dharamshala, and he will love batting on them.”
Gill made his T20I return earlier this year after almost a year out and was also named vice-captain. But his numbers in the format this year have been modest. He has scored 259 runs in 12 T20Is in 2025 so far, at an average of 28.77 and a strike rate of 143.09.
Pathan also said he wants to see who partners Hardik Pandya as a finisher in the lower order. He said this role will be key as India prepare to defend the T20 World Cup title at home.
“I would like to see who plays the role of a finisher with Hardik Pandya, and how they do it. This is a very big aspect. If we have to defend the World Cup, which is in India, it is crucial that our lower-middle order batters stay in form. Along with Hardik, the other batters become very important. Axar Patel can do that, Jitesh Sharma is there, Rinku Singh can also come in. But we have to see who will complement Hardik down the order. My eyes will be on that,” he added.
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