Regarding Shubman Gill‘s all-format skills, former English cricketer Monty Panesar made a significant statement. Shubman was recently left out of India’s 15-man 2026 T20 World Cup roster.
A gifted but complacent Shubman would never be able to match an all-format player like Virat Kohli, according to Panesar, who likened Shubman intensity and aggression to those of the former India captain.
“He is a lazy cricket player. Despite his great talent, he begins to make careless shots in the game. He finds it too much of a burden. According to India Today, Panesar said, “He can’t be the captain of all formats.” In every format, Virat Kohli’s aggression and intensity are clear to see.
That is not possible for Shubman Gill.
The former spinner also made remarks regarding the current structure of the red-ball scene in India. When it comes to rebranding in the longer format, Panesar pointed out that India still has a long way to go.
“Players from India are not prepared for Test cricket. Test players are not always as good as those who excel in T20s and ODIs. There is a significant difference between the Indian Test team and the Ranji Trophy. Four-day cricket requires perseverance and hard work. Focus is impacted by the lower salary in test cricket. Right now, the Ranji Trophy system is inadequate. To properly return to Test cricket, India will require time,” he continued.
In addition to his full-time leadership in Test and ODI forms, Gill served as India’s T20I vice-captain. However, Gill was completely ignored as Axar Patel was given the vice-captaincy for the major event. Gill was fired following a lacklustre 2025 T20I campaign for India. In the three ODIs he just played against Australia, Gill managed to score just 43 runs.
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