Didn’t meet expectations before World Cup – Shubman Gill on missing out on T20I showpiece

India’s talented batter Shubman Gill admitted he didn’t meet expectations before the T20 World Cup and thus he was left out of the squad. Gill was included in reserve players’ list for the T20I showpiece along with Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan, and Rinku Singh.

Gill scored 426 runs in 12 matches at an average of 38.73 and a strike rate of 147.40 while leading Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024. 

“My performance in T20Is before the World Cup this year wasn’t how I had expected it to be. Hopefully, going forward, in the upcoming cycle – I think we play 30-40 T20Is [before the next T20 World Cup] – I can improve my performance when it comes to batting, and also [we can improve] as a team,” Gill said in a press conference before the T20I series against Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, Gill scored 170 runs in five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe while leading the national team after the T20 World Cup victory.

Gill had opened the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal in the last three T20Is against Zimbabwe. Jaiswal scored 141 runs in three games and Gill said he really enjoyed batting with the left-hander, who is known for his aggressive approach.

“We really enjoy batting with each other. Especially the kind of shots we play, we kind of complement each other. Being a right-left combination, we have had good partnerships in whatever T20Is we have played before; two partnerships have been 150-plus [too]. So we have a great understanding and communication between us, and I have fun batting with him,” Gill added.

The first T20I between India and Sri Lanka will be played at Pallekele on Saturday.