The T20 World Cup snub will definitely fire up Shubman Gill as the Gujarat Titans captain gear up for another Indian Premier League (IPL) season, felt former India cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara. Having been elevated to Test and ODI leadership last year, Gill didn't the best of the times in the shortest format of the game and the IPL 2026 could be the perfect audition for the 26-year-old to reclaim his spot back in the T20I setup.
Following the IPL 2025, Gill led India to a 2-2 Test series draw in England, besides his scintillating performance with the bat. However, things went downhill for the right-hander after he suffered a neck injury in the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata. Although he returned for the T20I series against the Proteas, but was once again ruled out of the final two games with a foot injury after scoring just 32 runs in the first three.
With just a week left before IPL 2026, Pujara remarked that a good season with the bat will put Gill back India's scheme of things in T20Is. “The T20 World Cup squad snub will definitely fire up Shubman Gill. He is a quality player suited for all three formats," Pujara said on a JioHotstar show.
“If he has a good IPL 2026 season, he will surely put his name in India’s T20I squad. He is leading the Test squad and is also the ODI captain. He is a multi-format player. If he has a good season, he will be back in the scheme of things for the Indian team,” added the former Test stalwart.
Pressure will be on Shubman Gill Having played his first four IPL seasons with Kolkata Knight Riders, Gill actually flourished in Gujarat Titans colours. After a mediocre debut season with Gujarat Titans, Gill turned up the head in 2023 when he accumulated 890 runs, playing a crucial role in the franchise's runners-up finish.
With 650 runs in the previous season, pressure will be on Gill once again. Pujara felt this is a great opportunity for the Gujarat Titans skipper. "There will be some pressure on him because he has not been part of the India squad in the shortest format. But at the same time, it is a great opportunity for him to carry on batting the way he has.
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"He needs to try and accelerate a little more because that is something he has been working on. This IPL season is the perfect one for him to show he can bat at a strike rate of 150 to 160,” added Pujara.
Gujarat Titans look title favourites Pujara also put his money on the 2022 champions to lift the title this season. “GT look like a title favourite this season. If you look at their squad, the top order of Captain Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler is incredible. You cannot have a better top order than them. The number of all-rounders they have, especially with the addition of Jason Holder, makes them even stronger," he added.