Former India batter Mohammad Kaif minced no words as he launched a scathing attack on Shubman Gill, saying the time has come for the opening batter to be given a break from T20Is. The 26-year-old, who made a return from a neck injury in the series against South Africa, has failed to set the stage on fire in the opening three matches, registering scores of 4, 0 and 28. The third T20I in Dharamsala saw Gill failing to get going after the powerplay, and in the end, he finished with a run-a-ball 28.
Gill made a return to the T20I playing XI in the Asia Cup, and he was reinstated as the vice-captain. This led to Sanju Samson eventually being shown the door, despite hitting three centuries last year. Ever since his comeback, Gill has failed to hit a single fifty in T20Is, and the calls are growing for the management to move past the Gill experiment.
Kaif reckons that Gill needs to be dropped for the next two T20Is and Samson deserves a chance ahead of the all-important World Cup. In the Asia Cup, the Kerala batter did play in the middle order, but the Australia series eventually saw him being benched as the management brought in Jitesh Sharma as the wicketkeeper and finisher.
“If you want to keep things in control, don’t use the word drop (with Gill). Just say that you are giving him a break or want to try out a different player. But they have to go with a new player in these next two matches,” said Kaif on his YouTube channel.
“Whoever that player is, he deserves those matches; he has the right. He must be thinking Gill is playing for a year, and I have been dropped after 2-3 poor innings. That player is Sanju Samson,” he added.
‘The time has come’
In the first T20I, Gill lasted just two balls, scoring four runs, while the second match saw him lose his wicket on the very first ball he faced for a duck.
The third T20I saw the right-hander getting off to a fast start, but once Abhishek Sharma lost his wicket, Gill slowed down significantly, before being undone by Marco Jansen.
“There may be one or two players, like X-factor players, who deserve special treatment in terms of opportunities, but look at Shubman Gill now, how many innings has he got already?” said Kaif.
“It is not as though we have started discussing this now; we have been talking about it for quite some time. You have to take a call now, the time has come,” he added.
India now have just seven T20Is before the World Cup in February and March. The hosts will play two matches against the Proteas and then five matches against New Zealand. The squad for the New Zealand series and the World Cup is expected to be announced on the same day.
