“Even vice-captains have been dropped before” - Ex-India cricketer’s massive statement on Shubman Gill’s slump post IND vs SA 2025 2nd T20I

Former India batter Mohammad Kaif believes it is time to give T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill a break and consider other proven performers. His remarks came after India’s 51-run loss in the second T20I against South Africa on December 11 in Mullanpur.

As the Men in Blue suffered a disappointing defeat, Gill came under heavy scrutiny after another poor outing, falling for a golden duck just days after scoring only four runs in the series opener in Cuttack.

During a YouTube Live session on Friday, December 12, Kaif said that Gill has tried everything and that even vice-captains have been dropped in the past. He added that the management should consider bringing in someone like Sanju Samson, who has not received enough opportunities despite performing well, or Yashasvi Jaiswal. The 45-year-old said:

“Look at how he is getting out, caught at slip, stepping out and mistiming, trying aggressive strokes like Abhishek Sharma and getting caught. He has tried everything. I think the time has come to give him a break and try players who are proven. Sanju Samson is a top-quality player; he hasn’t received enough chances. There should not be double standards. Even vice-captains have been dropped before. If it is in the team’s interest to rest Gill and bring in someone else, there is nothing wrong with it.”

“But now it feels like the time has come for changes. You dropped players like Jaiswal, you kept Sanju Samson on the bench without giving him consistent chances, even though he scored heavily as an opener. He hit three centuries in five T20 innings, something no one in history has done. Some players get very few chances, while others get extended runs because you want to settle them in the team. That is clearly visible. But now, I think the pressure has increased so much that it is time for a change somewhere,” he added.

In 2025, Shubman Gill has scored just 263 runs in 14 T20I innings at an average of 23.90 and a strike rate of 142.93, without hitting a single fifty.

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“Shubman Gill has received too many responsibilities at once” - Mohammad Kaif explains what’s going wrong for the star batter

In the same interaction, Mohammad Kaif explained that Shubman Gill has been struggling because too many responsibilities have been placed on him at once. He further pointed out that Gill’s neck injury, suffered during the first Test against South Africa and forcing him to miss the second Test and the subsequent ODI series, was also a result of workload taking a toll on his body. Kaif said:

“I have said this before: Shubman Gill has received too many responsibilities at once. Test captaincy, ODI captaincy, T20 vice-captaincy no player can carry that much weight at once. It is simply not possible. Responsibilities should be given gradually.”

“IPL conditions are different; international cricket against South Africa, Pakistan, England, New Zealand is at a completely different level. I feel he has been given too much too soon. That is why he picked up that neck issue earlier. That was not really a neck issue; it was an accumulated workload taking a toll on the body. You cannot stay at your peak continuously,” he added.

Shubman Gill is expected to return to action in the third T20I against South Africa, scheduled for Sunday, December 14, in Dharamsala.