Vice-captain Shubman Gill needs to cement his place in India's T20I side, feels Irfan Pathan

Published - 08 Dec 2025, 13:17 IST | Updated - 08 Dec 2025, 13:28 IST

Cricketer-turned-commentator Irfan Pathan has commented on the upcoming T20I series against South Africa being an ideal opportunity for India vice-captain and opening batter Shubman Gill to establish himself in the 20-overs side. Gill has been out of action after sustaining a nerve-related neck injury during the first Test of the ongoing all-format series, and will return to action for the shortest format.

Irfan opined the BCCI has been posing Gill as an all-format player on the basis of his performances in the IPL. The erstwhile all-rounder felt this series is an important one for the full-time Test and ODI skipper. The former all-rounder believed that five games at the top of the order were more than enough for a player of Gill's stature, considering that the series will mostly be played across batting-friendly wickets.

"Shubman Gill needs to cement his place in 20-over cricket. We believe he is an all-format player. We have seen how he performs in T20 cricket in our league [IPL]. However, here, he has a chance to cement his place," stated Irfan in a video on his YouTube channel.

"There will be slight pressure for sure, but he is a good player, and I hope he performs well in this T20I series. He is coming after a slight injury and will get a lot of opportunities. Five opportunities are a lot, and he will get those opportunities on good pitches. He will like many pitches, where you will get to see pace and bounce, like the Dharamsala pitch," he added.

India and the Proteas will square off in five T20Is from December 9, with the first match to be contested at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. The Men in Blue won the ODI leg by a 2-1 margin after being whitewashed in the two-match red-ball series. The T20Is will now be deciding the ultimate winner of the all-format tour.

Irfan believes Hardik's inclusion led to Rinku's exclusion

Gill is the vice-captain of the T20I team, which is led by Suryakumar Yadav. He will be making a return to competitive cricket along with ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who had sustained a left quadriceps injury during the title-winning 2025 Asia Cup.