(AP Photo)
Star Indian opener Shubman Gill is determined to enhance his performance in T20 internationals, having expressed dissatisfaction with his results in the 19 matches he’s played so far. As he prepares for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, Gill is focused on making significant improvements. Speaking at the pre-match press conference on Thursday, July 25, ahead of the series opener in Pallekele, the 24-year-old expressed his readiness to tackle the issues surrounding his batting.
“At a personal level, I’m not satisfied with my performances in T20Is till the T20 World Cup (2024). It hasn’t been up to my expectations. But hopefully, going forward, in the upcoming cycle, we’ve got about 30-40 T20Is (before T20 World Cup 2026), and I’d hope we improve on our performance as a team and I can improve as a player.”
Following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from T20Is last month, Shubman Gill is poised to open the batting for India alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka.
“We really enjoy batting with each other. Especially the kind of shots we play, we kind of complement each other,” Gill said of his partnership with Jaiswal. “Being a right-left combination, we have had good partnerships in whatever T20Is we have played before; two partnerships have been 150-plus. So, we have a great understanding and communication between us, and I have fun batting with him.”
In contrast to Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal was part of India’s T20 World Cup 2024-winning squad. However, the 22-year-old did not get the opportunity to participate in any of the eight matches during the tournament.
Shubman Gill, who led India as captain in a five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe earlier this month, has been appointed vice-captain for the forthcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. The young cricketer expressed enthusiasm for the added responsibility and is confident that it will not affect his performance on the field.
“(His role) doesn’t change much as a batter. When I’m a batter, I still need to perform and win matches for my country. But when you are on the field, you need to make more decisions compared to when you’re playing as a player.”
Gill also expressed confidence in his ability to collaborate effectively with India’s new T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav.“We think alike. I’ve played under Surya Bhai’s captaincy in the South Africa tour,” he said.
“Our communication and understanding are alike. You can see this in the upcoming games,” he added.
