Shubman Gill’s T20I Slump & Sanju Samson: A Costly Push for Poster-Boy Status

The article critiques the Indian cricket management’s decision to rapidly install Shubman Gill as the next all-format leader and “poster-boy,” arguing that this push has come at the expense of team balance and the form of other successful players, particularly Sanju Samson.

Shubman Gill’s T20I Struggles

Despite being a prolific run-scorer in Tests and ODIs, Gill’s performance in the T20I format since his return to the squad in September has been severely underwhelming:

• Recent Form (Since September): In 15 T20I innings across various countries, Gill has scored only 263 runs.
• Average: His average in this period is a meager 21.92.
• Strike Rate: His strike rate is a below-par 115.56.
• Latest Failure: His first-ball duck in the second T20I against South Africa is cited as the latest example of his struggle.
• The Burden: The management’s overwhelming desire to anoint the 26-year-old as the new face of Indian cricket (following Dhoni, Kohli, and Rohit) has led to his appointment as Test captain, ODI captain, and T20I vice-captain, which the author suggests may be an excessive “burden” causing mental and physical fatigue.

Sanju Samson: The Collateral Damage

The article explicitly identifies Sanju Samson as the “collateral damage” resulting from the decision to prioritize Gill at the opening slot.

• Successful Partnership Split: Gill’s return forced the breakup of the previously successful T20I opening tandem of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. (Reports indicate Samson had scored three T20I centuries in five innings while opening in October-November last year).
• Shunted Down: Samson was “shunted down the order,” a position where his T20 game is traditionally less effective.
• Omission: He ultimately lost his place in the playing XI to Jitesh Sharma, despite having done “precious little wrong” while opening.
• Management Justification: Captain Suryakumar Yadav reportedly justified the decision by stating Gill had played in the opening position before Samson in the Sri Lanka series, suggesting that prior appearance and Gill’s vice-captaincy status took precedence over Samson’s current form.

The Core Criticism

The central criticism leveled at the Indian team management, led by Head Coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, is the use of “different yardsticks for different players.”

• Blind Faith vs. Merit: The article argues that the management is exercising “undiluted show of faith” in Gill’s potential and hierarchy (future all-format captain) rather than selecting players based on current form and T20 specialisation, as Samson’s opening statistics suggested.
• Running Out of Time: With the T20 World Cup approaching, the strategy of persisting with an out-of-form, designated leader at the expense of a successful player is framed as a critical “miscalculation” that could prove costly to the team.