NEW DELHI: Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan has lauded India's T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill, praising his approach and hoping the batter sticks to his proven template, particularly after his composed performance in the rain-affected fifth T20I against Australia in Brisbane.
Following a rocky start to his maiden ODI captaincy and a patchy run across four T20Is, Gill regained his form in the final two matches of the high-voltage series. On a tricky Queensland pitch, he produced a crucial 46 off 39 balls to anchor India's innings and set up a commanding 48-run victory, giving his side a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
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In the final match, Gill starred again with a quickfire 29* off 16 deliveries, striking at an impressive 181.25. While his flamboyant partner Abhishek Sharma struggled at the other end, Gill hit six boundaries before rain and thunder prematurely ended the contest.
Pathan believes Gill's ability to adapt to different conditions makes him an invaluable asset for any team.
"Shubman Gill's innings eventually came in the winning cause (in the fourth T201). You need a player to understand the conditions and play accordingly; that's Shubman Gill. In the fifth T201, he left Abhishek behind in the strike rate. Abhishek was struggling, and two of his catches were dropped. But Shubman appeared in control. I hope Shubman doesn't leave his template. His template is timing," Pathan said on his YouTube channel.
Gill has been under intense scrutiny since returning to the T201 format as skipper Suryakumar Yadav's deputy in the Asia Cup in September. His return led to a massive rejig in the playing XI, with Sanju Samson being demoted from the top order to number five.
The 25-year-old wasn't in the scheme of things during India's historic T20 World Cup triumph in 2024. During India's squad announcement for the Asia Cup in August, chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained Gill was never dropped from T20Is but was occupied in the remaining two formats.
Gill, who donned the opener's role during India's unbeaten run to the Asia Cup trophy, mustered up 127 runs in seven appearances. He then toured Australia for three ODIs and five T20Is after leading India to a 2-0 Test series whitewash at home. With 132 runs at 44.00, Gill concluded India's 2-1 series win.
