In the 4th T20I against Australia, Shubman Gill scored 46 off 39 balls at a strike rate of 117.95. His cautious approach drew heavy criticism from fans, who slammed his ‘safe’ batting and questioned his spot over in-form players like Sanju Samson.
Team India T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill had a moderate outing with the bat in the fourth T20I of the five-match series against Australia at Carrara Oval in Queensland on Thursday, November 6. Australia won the toss and opted to bowl first in the penultimate match of the ongoing T20I series in Queensland.
After being put to bat first by the Australia skipper, Mitchell Marsh. Team India posted a total of 167/8 in 20 overs and set a 168-run target for the hosts to chase. Shubman Gill led the visitors’ batting with an innings of 46 off 39 balls, while Abhishek Sharma (28), Shivam Dube (22), Axar Patel (21*), and skipper Suryakumar Yadav (20) contributed with quick runs, helping India reach a modest total on the board.
For Australia, Nathan Ellis led the bowling attack with a spell of 3/21 at an economy rate of 5.20 in four overs. Spinner Adam Zampa picked three wickets but conceded 45 runs at an economy rate of 11.20 in his spell of four overs.
Shubman Gill’s Performance under Scrutiny
Given his inconsistent performances since his return to the T20I side for the Asia Cup 2025, Shubman Gill’s form has been under scrutiny. In the first three matches of the ongoing T20I series against Australia, India’s vice-captain registered scores of 37, 5, and 15, raising concerns over his form in the shorter format of the game.
While walking out to bat with his opening partner, Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill was under the spotlight as the fans and experts expected him to take charge, anchor the innings, and provide a strong start for India, but his batting approach was quite cautious, rather than aggressively pursuing big shots. As Abhishek was leading India’s batting charge, Gill’s reluctance to keep up the tempo after the power play raised fresh concerns.
Shubman Gill smashed four boundaries before the powerplay, but he managed to hit only six after the first six overs, slowing down the scoring rate. The 26-year-old played an innings of 46 off 39 balls at a strike rate of 117.95, which is considered modest for a top-order batter in T20 cricket.
Scroll to load tweet…
Since his return to T20Is, Shubman Gill has aggregated just 230 runs at an average of 25.11 in 11 matches, highlighting his struggle to consistently make impactful contributions at the top of the order. Gill replaced Sanju Samson at the top of the batting line-up, although he was away from the format to focus on red-ball cricket, but he has yet to deliver an impactful performance in the T20Is.
Gill Slammed for ‘Playing Safe’
Shubman Gill’s performance received widespread criticism and debate among fans, who were furious over India’s vice-captain’s cautious approach with the bat, arguing that it hindered India’s chances of posting a more competitive total on the board.
Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), fans and cricket enthusiasts slammed Shubman Gill for ‘playing safe’ rather than accelerating the innings and capitalizing on the powerplay, while others questioned the team management’s decision to replace Sanju Samson with Gill as an opener, given that the former scored 3 T20I centuries while playing at the top order.
Scroll to load tweet…
Scroll to load tweet…
Scroll to load tweet…
Scroll to load tweet…
Scroll to load tweet…
Scroll to load tweet…
Scroll to load tweet…
Scroll to load tweet…
Scroll to load tweet…
Scroll to load tweet…
Scroll to load tweet…
Scroll to load tweet…
Shubman Gill does not have an impressive record in T20Is, amassing 808 runs, including a century and 3 fifties, at an average of 28.85 and a strike rate of 139.31 in 32 matches, highlighting that while talented, he has often struggled to consistently dominate in the shortest format.