Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra offered a theory on why Indian vice-captain Shubman Gill played the way he did in the first T20I against South Africa. Gill threw his hands at a delivery pitched outside off and then skipped down the track, resulting in a premature dismissal.
Coming straight from rehabilitation after an unfortunate neck injury, Gill did not seem inclined to take a few deliveries to settle in. He faced only two balls before getting out. While he boasts impressive numbers in the IPL for the Gujarat Titans, his shot selection for India on this occasion was well below par.
Gill had not been playing T20Is for some time, while Sanju Samson was in sensational form, thrashing bowlers consistently. When Gill returned for the Asia Cup 2025, Samson was removed as an opener, and Gill was named deputy to Suryakumar Yadav.
