Irfan Pathan, a former cricket player who is now a broadcaster, has stated that Shubman Gill, the opening batsman and vice captain of India, will have a great chance to establish himself in the 20-overs team during the forthcoming T20I series against South Africa. Gill will make his comeback for the shortest format after missing the first Test of the current all-format series due to a nerve-related neck injury.
According to Irfan, Gill’s IPL performances have led the BCCI to portray him as an all-format star. This series, according to the former all-rounder, is crucial for the full-time Test and ODI captain. Given that the series will primarily be played across batting-friendly surfaces, the former all-rounder felt that five games at the top of the order would be more than sufficient for a player of Gill’s calibre.
“Shubman Gill must solidify his position in cricket’s 20-over format.
He is an all-format player, in our opinion. We have observed his performance in our league [IPL] in T20 cricket. But he has an opportunity here to solidify his position,” Irfan said in a video posted to his YouTube account.
“He is a good player, and I hope he does well in this T20I series, but there will undoubtedly be some pressure. He will have plenty of opportunity after recovering from a minor injury. He will get those opportunities on strong pitches, and five is a lot. He would enjoy a variety of pitches, such as the Dharamsala pitch, where you can observe bounce and pace,” he continued.
Beginning on December 9, India and the Proteas will play five Twenty20 Internationals. The opening game will take place at Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium. After losing the two-match red-ball series, the Men in Blue prevailed 2-1 in the ODI leg. The final champion of the all-format tour will henceforth be determined by the T20Is.
The T20I team, captained by Suryakumar Yadav, has Gill as its vice-captain. Along with star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who had a left quadriceps injury during the 2025 Asia Cup, he will be returning to competitive cricket.
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