Shubman Gill’s T20I comeback plan set in motion amid T20 World Cup 2026 chaos
Published - 24 Feb 2026, 10:35 AM | Updated - 24 Feb 2026, 11:34 PM
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Former Indian cricketer Priyank Panchal raised a valid question amid the T20 World Cup 2026, where Team India is currently on the verge of disqualification from the title race. In the tournament, the team is constantly dealing with off-colour openers.
Recently, a video of Shubman Gill's batting practice was shared on the social media platform 'X'. The video captures a glimpse of Shubman Gill's net session. Panchal hopes to see the top-order batter in the T20I setup again, in the near future.
Why does Team India need to change their opening pairs?
From the beginning of the T20 World Cup 2026, the defending champion has been suffering because of tumbling opening pairs. Whether it was the combination of Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma or Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson, the batters failed to provide a long-standing partnership at the beginning.
Abhishek Sharma's off-form is the real setback for the team as the opener sustained three ducks in his three back-to-back matches in the group stage. In the opening game of the Super 8, Sharma registered their first runs in the tournament, but in an unconvincing manner. On the other hand, Ishan Kishan was dismissed for a duck in the Super 8 match against South Africa.
Sanju Samson made a fuss on big occasions
The same can be said about Sanju Samson. Before Ishan Kishan, Samson was the first-choice opener along with Sharma for the team. During the five-match T20I series with New Zealand, Samson misfired in all five games. After this, the team management promoted Ishan Kishan in the opening slot to pair up with Abhishek Sharma.
On paper, the combination of Sharma and Kishan is one because of their aggressive batting approach. But the reality turned out to be different. While Kishan played some significant knocks, Sharma struggled to score a run throughout the group stage. He missed a match against Namibia in the group stage because of an upset stomach, which allowed Sanju Samson to get back into the playing XI again. Again, Samson underutilised the opportunity.
Integral moment for Shubman Gill: Priyank Panchal
Because of the inconsistency of the openers, it is expected to see some changes in the team after their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. Priyank Panchal wishes to see Shubman Gill in the T20I squad again. Shubman Gill, the skipper of India's Test and ODI teams, was dropped from the T20 World Cup squad in a surprising call made by the board.
"This is an integral moment for Shubman Gill. People have questioned his T20 skills aplenty. However, we might see vacancies opening up again in the batting order after this World Cup. Can he translate his ODI skills into the shortest format successfully? #T20WorldCup", Panchal wrote on 'X' post.
This is an integral moment for Shubman. People have questioned his T20 skills aplenty. However, we might see vacancies opening up again in the batting order after this World Cup. Can he translate his ODI skills into the shortest format successfully? #T20WorldCup https://t.co/WP4pDdx6eX
— Priyank Panchal (@PKpanchal09) February 23, 2026
Read More: Qualification Scenario: India almost out of T20 World Cup 2026 after West Indies’ domination
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Shubman Gill Priyank Panchal Abhishek Sharma Ishan Kishan Sanju Samson India National Cricket Team ICC T20 World CupAbout the Author
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