Shubman Gill will feature in the T20I series after recovering from neck injury.
The 26-year-old sustained neck injury while batting in the first innings of the Kolkata Test against South Africa last month. The injury forced him to retire hurt and he wasn’t able to take further part in the match. He was also ruled out of the Guwahati Test which India lost to go down 2-0 in the series and then missed the three-ODI series against Proteas.
Gill had to be hospitalized for a few days in Kolkata, before checking into the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) for rehabilitation. After receiving clearance from the medical team, he was given the go-ahead to join the Indian T20I squad in Cuttack.
Ahead of his much-awaited comeback, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan is hoping for Shubman Gill to deliver strong performances in the T20I series, which will secure his place in the T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
Gill’s return to the T20I fold as vice-captain during the Asia Cup 2025 didn’t yield best of returns as he scored only 127 runs in seven innings at an average of 21.16 and a strike rate of 151.19. The right-hander failed to make a mark in the subsequent five T20Is on the tour of Australia, amassing 132 runs at a strike rate of 136.08 without a half-century.
“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,” said Pathan on JioStar.
Irfan Pathan is also looking forward to see who would take up the mantle of finishing the innings alongside a returning Hardik Pandya in the five-T20I series against South Africa.
“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.”
For Pathan, how India's fast bowling combination fares against the Proteas will be of utmost importance. “I want to see how the other fast bowlers perform along with Bumrah. Bumrah is the main bowler, but we also have Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube can bowl a bit, and Arshdeep Singh as well.”
“How they perform in this series against South Africa will be very important. With the T20 World Cup scheduled for February next year, this series is really important from a bowling point of view.”
(With IANS Inputs)