3 reasons why India must drop Shubman Gill for IND vs SA 2025 4th T20I

Team India registered a comprehensive win over South Africa in the third T20I, but vice-captain Shubman Gill once again came under scrutiny for his run-a-ball knock of 28. The match was played on Sunday, December 14, at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.

Asked to bat first, South Africa were bowled out for 117 in 20 overs. In reply, Abhishek Sharma provided a flying start, smashing a brisk 35 off 18 balls, which included three fours and three sixes. However, his opening partner Gill, coming off a string of low scores, looked short on confidence and managed 28 from 28 deliveries. India eventually sealed a seven-wicket victory with 25 balls to spare.

Despite India taking a 2-1 lead in the series with two matches remaining, Gill’s form has been a concern. The opener has scored just 32 runs in three matches so far in the series. Overall in 2025, the 26-year-old has accumulated 291 runs from 15 T20I innings at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26, with a highest score of 47.

As Gill continues to struggle for consistency in the shortest format, we take a look at three reasons why India must consider dropping the vice-captain for the fourth T20I against the Proteas, scheduled for Wednesday, December 17, in Lucknow.

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#1 Struggling to fit into India’s T20 setup

Since returning to the T20I side as vice-captain at the 2025 Asia Cup, Shubman Gill has struggled to fit into India’s T20 setup. Under head coach Gautam Gambhir, the Men in Blue have embraced a high-intent, attacking approach.

Abhishek Sharma has flourished in that role, scoring at a remarkable strike rate of 185.7 in the powerplay and smashing 44 sixes. Gill, however, operates differently. He usually takes time to settle before shifting gears, an approach that has often clashed with India’s current attacking template. When Gill has tried to match Sharma’s tempo, he has looked uncomfortable and has paid the price.

In 15 T20Is this year, Shubman Gill has struck at 147.8 but has been dismissed eight times in the powerplay, managing just two sixes in that phase. With Gill alternating between preserving his wicket and increasing the scoring rate, consistency has eluded him.

Having been given a sustained run, the upcoming T20I against South Africa presents an opportunity for India to assess other options and consider pairing Abhishek Sharma with a different opening partner.

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#2 Sanju Samson’s superior numbers put Shubman Gill under pressure

Another factor putting Shubman Gill under pressure is the presence of Sanju Samson. Before Gill’s return, Samson opened alongside Abhishek Sharma and performed well in that role. Since Gill moved back to the top of the order at the Asia Cup, Samson was pushed down the batting lineup and eventually lost his place to Jitesh Sharma.

With Gill continuing to struggle, having not scored a fifty in 15 innings this year, there is a case for Samson to return as an opener. Samson has opened in 17 T20Is for India, scoring 522 runs at an average of 32.63 and a strike rate of 178.77, including three hundreds and one fifty.

Shubman Gill, who has opened in all 36 of his career T20Is, has scored 869 runs at an average of 28.03 and a strike rate of 138.59, including three fifties and one century. These numbers suggest that Samson has been slightly more effective in the opener’s role and could be considered for a return.

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#3 Vice-captaincy shouldn’t shield Gill from being dropped

While Shubman Gill serves as the vice-captain of the side, his primary responsibility is to provide solid starts at the top of the order, a role in which the 26-year-old has struggled to consistently meet expectations.

The team has performed well under Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership and includes experienced players like Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah. As a result, his vice-captaincy should not serve as a shield against being dropped, since the team’s overall performance and balance must take priority.

At present, the Punjab batter is not meeting the team’s requirements, and India should consider benching him for the upcoming T20I against South Africa. This would allow the side to back in-form players and focus on building a balanced combination ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.