"Gill can also base his game like that" - Irfan Pathan calls for Shubman Gill to emulate legendary batter ahead of IND vs SA 2025 1st T20

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has urged vice-captain Shubman Gill to follow Virat Kohli's batting template in T20Is rather than be fully embroiled in the aggressive intent-based approach. The ace batter is set to make a return to competitive cricket after a brief absence due to a neck injury that he sustained during the Test series against South Africa.

Shubman Gill has been a mixed bag since his return to the T20I setup ahead of the 2025 Asia Cup. While his strike rate has increased from 133 to 143.09 this year, his average and consistency are well below par. He had a couple of promising starts in the last T20I series in Australia, but the wait for a knock with conviction continues.

With Sanju Samson being among the runs at the top of the order in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, there is substantial pressure on Shubman Gill to cement his spot ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Irfan Pathan feels that a player like Shubman Gill is suited better to rely on timing and running between the wickets and switch gears gradually instead of going hard right from the start.

"I want to see Shubman Gill's mental state in T20 cricket. It is important that Gill should not bat like how Abhishek Sharma and the other explosive batters are batting. He should bat according to the team situation, and demand, because he is that kind of a player. From all the years I have watched Virat Kohli play T20 cricket, Gill can also base his game like that and move forward," Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

"See, there will be some big matches where Abhishek Sharma will try to go big and will be out early. So, there you need stability, and Shubman Gill can provide that. But, it is important that Shubman Gill is not confused. If he is confused, then it will be a big problem for him. He is not Abhishek Sharma, he is not Suryakumar Yadav, he is not a 360-degree player, he is not MS Dhoni. He is not the type of player who can hit big sixes from the get-go," he continued.

Since his T20I return, Shubman Gill has scored 259 runs in 12 innings at an average of 28.78. The opening batter last played a T20I in India in early 2024, during the home series against Afghanistan, where he scored 23 runs off 12 deliveries.

"We will see the old regular run-scoring version of Suryakumar Yadav" - Irfan Pathan backs India skipper to be among runs in IND vs SA 2025 T20Is

Irfan Pathan opened up about the T20I team's No.3 spot, which has been shared by several players in the dynamic system, but primarily by the pair of Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma.

The Indian skipper featured at No.3 twice during the T20I series against Australia, and had recorded a couple of promising cameos. In 2025, he has scored only 185 runs in 15 innings at an average of 15.33, and a strike rate of 127.78.

"If you ask me who the No.3 batter should be between Tilak and Surya, ideally it should be Tilak, because he likes to face pace bowling, and he will enjoy playing at the top. But, in my opinion, if Suryakumar Yadav bats consistently at No.3, he will score runs eventually. There is a lot of talk regarding his form, and the way he is batting, it does not look like he is struggling with form. I think from this series, we will see the old regular run-scoring version of Suryakumar Yadav," Irfan Pathan opined.

Irfan Pathan also stressed the need for Team India to resolve their wicket-keeping conundrum as quickly as possible before the 2026 T20 World Cup.

"If you want to play Sanju, then play him at the top. If you bat him in the middle order, then by the time the World Cup comes, it might be a problem, as far as I see. You only have 10 matches left till the World Cup, so you have to be properly prepared. This is one such area that needs to be completely cleared: who will keep wickets, and how will the middle order and lower order in the playing XI look like?" Pathan said.

Sanju Samson was dropped midway through the Australian tour after a couple of poor outings, while Jitesh Sharma impressed in his first outing after a lengthy wait on the sidelines. Both glovesmen have been involved for their respective domestic sides in the 2025-26 SMAT and present a massive selection headache for the team management ahead of the series opener in Cuttack.