Former Indian cricketers Irfan Pathan and Aakash Chopra got into a heated argument about whether Shubman Gill should keep opening for India or if Sanju Samson should return to the opening slot.

The conversation was sparked by another subpar performance by India's T20 vice skipper, Gill, who was dismissed for a first-ball duck during the failed 214-run chase against South Africa in Thursday's second T20I at New Chandigarh.

Gill got 266 runs in just eight games last year, but he has only managed 263 in 14 T20Is in 2025. Gill remained out of the picture in the T20Is for a long time until making an unexpected comeback at the Asia Cup 2025 in September, more than a year later, and was named the vice-captain of the Indian T20I team.

However, Shubman’s return to India’s T20I XI meant that Sanju Samson lost his opening spot and was pushed down the order. Now he has lost his place in India XI in favor of Jitesh Sharma. Samson, as an opener, scored 522 runs in 17 matches and also smashed three centuries. Meanwhile, Gill is yet to hit a fifty since returning to the T20 team.

Now that the T20 World Cup 2026 is just two months away, Gill's persistently bad form has raised concerns after India lost by more than 50 runs at home for the first time.

Former opener Aakash Chopra questioned Gill's form during the second India vs. South Africa Twenty20 match, speculating that there would be a change at the top of the Indian T20 team.

“Gill, who is vice captain in T20Is…will there be a discussion on his name because you also have Sanju Samson? He averages 32 as an opener, but look at that strike rate; it is nearly 180. Sanju has three centuries. Two he hit against South Africa and Bangladesh. So has the deal been sealed, or is it open for debate?” Chopra said on Star Sports.

His fellow commentator Irfan Pathan stated that while it's important to ask this, if the team management wants to make a change, it should happen now, as the T20 World Cup is nearing.

“Question will be this only? Shubman Gill was brought into the T20I team after a long time. He was made the vice-captain and given opportunities. Gill has a strike rate of 140. Samson has a strike rate of 147. How close to the World Cup can you change your opener, if you want to change? Because if there’s a time to change, it’s now, unless you have decided that not Sanju Samson but Shubman Gill will be our opener,” Pathan said.

Shubman Gill will most likely have three more chances in the ongoing T20I series to come good and continue to open the innings. The third T20I will be played in Dharamshala on December 14.

India will have only five more T20Is against New Zealand after this South African series, before the T20 World Cup 2026 begins in February.