Former South Africa skipper AB de Villiers came out in support of India’s vice-captain Shubman Gill after his poor outing in the second T20I against Australia in Melbourne on October 31. The former batter-turned-analyst admitted that Gill has been struggling for runs in recent matches.
However, De Villiers expressed confidence that Gill will soon overcome his struggles in Australian conditions by making the necessary mental or technical adjustments. His comments followed Gill’s dismissal for just five runs off 10 balls in the second T20I. The 26-year-old also struggled in the ODI series, managing scores of 10, 9, and 24.
Interestingly, Gill has been dismissed in a similar fashion in all his recent innings, though he did find some rhythm with an unbeaten 37 off 20 balls in the rain-hit first T20I in Canberra. Sharing his thoughts on his YouTube channel, AB de Villiers stated:
“There are good wickets in Australia. Maybe he’s not completely accustomed to the kind of bounce. There must be something, or he’s just human… We expect Shubman to score runs every single day.”
“So, maybe Shubman Gill is going through a patch like that, and he’ll work it out, guys. He’s a class player, class leader, and I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that he will be back. I think it’s more of a mental thing than technical.”
“If it’s technical, he’ll get to the nets and sort it out. I don’t see any reflex. Yes, the performance is not there in the recent and short-term past, but there is plenty of cricket ahead. Plenty to look forward to, and it’s just up to him to sort of freshen up,” he added.
“On What Basis Is He Vice-Captain?” – World Cup Winner Slams India Opener
Former India cricketer Kris Srikkanth criticized the decision to appoint Shubman Gill as the T20I vice-captain despite his poor recent performances in the format. The 65-year-old expressed disappointment with the team management for disrupting the side’s balance by continuing to include Gill, especially when Yashasvi Jaiswal is available on the bench.
Sharing his views on his YouTube channel, the 1983 World Cup winner stated:
“They won’t drop Gill for the next three games. They are not worried about anything else. He is the vice-captain for the T20 World Cup, that’s fixed now. It’s also fixed that he’s the future T20I captain. So they have to play with him and build the balance for the rest of the side. He’s a certainty, or else on what basis has he been appointed the vice-captain?”
“Yashasvi Jaiswal is waiting in the wings. He’s not there in the team. With Gill’s inclusion, the overall balance has gone for a toss, so they aren’t sure of what to do. Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma don’t have a fixed position, and Arshdeep Singh is missing out on the 11,” he added.
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