3 reasons why Shubman Gill may not make it to India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad
Shubman Gill, who has all but nailed the number three spot vacated by Cheteshwar Pujara in India's Test squad, may be living on the edge when the selectors meet this week to select the national team for the T20 World Cup.
The biennial tournament, slated to be held in the West Indies and USA in June later this year, is one of the most prestigious in world cricket, but it seems as if Gill may not make the bus.
He has not been in the best of forms in the ongoing IPL, and although he did become the fastest Indian to play 100 matches in the tournament earlier this week, has lacked consistency.
In this listicle, we take a look at three reasons why Gill may not make it to India's squad for the tournament.
#1 Shubman Gill has not shown enough form in the IPL
The selectors will be mindful of the fact that Gill has not shown enough form in the ongoing IPL season to merit a place in the squad for the T20 World Cup.
Leading the Gujarat Titans this season, Gill has opened the innings in all games but has just two half-centuries to show for himself.
What is more, in the nine innings that he has played so far, he has crossed the forty-run mark on just two occasions, with three single-digit scores included in them. He has not been consistent in the IPL so far, and this will go against him trying to push for a spot in the World Cup squad.
#2. He has a lot of competitors
It has to be said that Gill has a lot of competitors for either the opening or number three spot in the side for the T20 World Cup.
The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube have done enough to merit a place in the side, which means that Gill may have to be sacrificed.
For the opener's slot, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal will most likely be picked, while Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav can both bat at number three if supremo Virat Kohli chooses to move down the order.
There is simply no place in the squad for Shubman Gill to potentially come in.
#3 His average in T20Is is not impressive
What has hampered Gill's name to do the rounds for the T20 World Cup squad is the fact that he does not quite add an X-factor to the side.
This, along with the fact that there are far too many competitors for the top-order means that he will probably have to sit out of this tournament and watch it from his couch at home.
Although he is known to make good use of the fielding restrictions when he opens the innings, Gill is not quite renowned for his finishing skills.
The Punjab lad's average in the 14 T20Is that he has played for India is an abysmal 25, which is hardly what one expects from a top-order batter. Although he has a ton and a half-century to his name, he has precious few runs to show for his mastery of the format.