In numbers: Shubman Gill’s shocking loss of form
Young Team India opener Shubman Gill had a sensational 2023. He finished the year as the leading run-getter in international cricket. In 52 innings across formats, the right-handed batter smashed 2,154 runs at an average of 46.82 with seven hundreds and 10 fifties.
The 24-year-old had a terrific 2023 in the ODI format in particular. In 29 innings, he scored 1,584 runs at an average of 63.36 and a strike rate of 105.45 with five hundreds and nine fifties. Gill was the leading run-getter in ODIs as well in 2023 followed by Virat Kohli, who smacked 1,377 runs in 24 innings.
Looking at his performance in the other two formats, the batter contributed 258 runs in six Tests and 312 runs in 13 T20Is at a strike rate of 145.11 with one hundred and one half-century.
While Gill had a terrific year overall, which also saw him clobber 890 runs in IPL 2023, his numbers started falling in the second half of 2023, particularly in Tests and T20Is.
Shubman Gill’s T20I stats since August 2023
Since the start of August 2023, Gill has featured in eight T20Is in which he has scored only 133 runs at an average of 16.62 and a strike rate of 126.66. Out of his 133 runs, 77 have come in one innings against West Indies in Lauderhill in the fourth T20I of the five-match series. His other scores in the series read 3, 7, 6, and 9.
The right-handed batter featured in the two T20Is during the South Africa tour but failed to come up with a good score in both matches. He was dismissed for 0 in Gqeberha and 8 in Johannesburg.
The young opener was involved in the run out of skipper Rohit Sharma in the first T20I of the three-match series against Afghanistan in Mohali on Thursday, January 11. The batter ended up scoring 23 off 12 balls, hitting five fours. He was stumped off Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s bowling.
Shubman Gill’s Test stats since June 2023
Starting June 2023, Gill has featured in five Test matches (nine innings), scoring only 150 runs at an average of 18.75. The right-handed batter has registered a highest score of 36 in his last five Test matches.
The Indian opener scored 18 and 13 against Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval in June 2023. In the two-match Test series in West Indies in July 2023, he registered scores of 6, 10 and 29* in three innings.
Gill opened in both Test matches during the 2023-24 tour of South Africa. The batter was dismissed for 2 and 26 in the Boxing Day Test in Centurion and followed it up with 36 and 11 in the second Test of the series at Newlands in Cape Town.
No drop in Shubman Gill’s ODI form
Luckily for India, even as Gill has struggled for runs in Tests and T20Is, his ODI form has remained healthy. In his last 15 ODI innings, the opening batter has notched up 757 runs at an average of 58.23 and a strike rate of 105.13 with two hundreds and six fifties.
The 24-year-old smashed 121 against Bangladesh in Colombo in September 2023 during the Asia Cup and 104 against Australia in the ODI series played ahead of the World Cup.
After missing Team India’s initial World Cup games due to a bout of dengue, he regained his batting rhythm with a run-a-ball 92 against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Gill also contributed 51 off 32 against Netherlands and 80* off 66 in the semi-final against New Zealand in Mumbai before being dismissed for 4 in the final against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Overall, the elegant batter scored 354 runs in nine innings during the 2023 World Cup, averaging 44.25 at a strike rate of 106.94 with four half-centuries.
What experts have to say on Gill’s poor returns in Tests and T20Is
According to Aakash Chopra, there are question marks over Gill as an opener in Test cricket. Speaking on his JioCinema show after India’s loss in the Centurion Test, the former cricketer opined:
“He's batted well in ODIs which is his favourite format and done modestly in T20s. But in Tests, against England, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies, I don't think he has performed well. So, there is a question mark."
“He started off as an opener. Then he batted at No 3. Eventually, he wants to bat at No. 4 is what I feel. But he needs to start scoring runs. There's a slight technical deficiency in his batting, too. He's a player who likes to play mostly with his hands and does not rely mainly on his feet. So, this approach may suit flat pitches and white ball cricket. But that does not work in Test cricket," Chopra added.
Also, speaking to Cricbuzz, Rohan Gavaskar predicted that, owing to his poor numbers in the format, Gill will find it hard to get a place in the T20I starting XI once the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav are available for selection.