Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has opined that under-fire batter Shubman Gill must be feeling the pressure due to his lean patch, especially with talented players like Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting on the sidelines.
The Indian T20I vice-captain has struggled to make an impact with the bat since his return to the short format setup. Shubman Gill made his comeback to the T20I team after a 14-month absence during the 2025 Asia Cup campaign in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Since then, Gill has played 10 innings, scoring 184 runs at an average of 23. He has yet to score a single fifty and has had a disappointing T20I series in Australia so far. The opener was dismissed for 5 and 15 in his last two outings in Melbourne and Hobart, respectively. He has also found it tough to settle in Australian conditions, failing to make a significant impact in the recently concluded three-match ODI series.
Irfan Pathan suggested that Gill must be aware of the outside noise and feel the pressure of players like Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal breathing down his neck.
“Once you give yourself a couple of overs to settle, you can always cover and catch up eventually. He has range, it is not like he does not have range. He must be thinking about the players sitting on the bench. A player like Sanju Samson is missing out. He has been involved in international cricket for 10 years, and he finally got a year where he scored 3 T20I hundreds, even after that he has to move out of his position to accommodate Shubman Gill. Now after getting demoted, he is getting dropped as well. A talented player like Jaiswal is also sitting out. It is not like Shubman Gill does not know this. So, there will be pressure,” Irfan said on his YouTube channel.
The former player also remarked that Sanju Samson arguably deserved better, considering he had a breakthrough last year after a phase riddled with struggles and inconsistencies.
“If I am Sanju Samson, I would be thinking that even after working so hard, after scoring so many runs, things should have been much better than this. Even he must be thinking this. Sanju Samson, my prayers, my good wishes are with you,” Pathan added.
Sanju Samson was given the chance to open the innings amid the transition period immediately after the 2024 T20 World Cup. The wicket-keeper batter capitalized on his opportunity, scoring 436 runs in 12 innings at an average of 43.60 and a strike rate of 180.17 in 2024. However, in 2025, his average has dropped to 18.50, and his strike rate has fallen to 120.92.
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### Irfan Pathan on Shivam Dube’s Role in Team India
During the second T20I against Australia at the MCG, Shivam Dube had to come out at No. 8 despite a top-order collapse, as Harshit Rana was sent in after the fall of the fifth wicket. Rana stabilized the innings with 35 runs off 33 deliveries, but by the time Dube came out to bat, it was already the 16th over.
Irfan Pathan suggested that Dube should be used as a specialist hitter against spinners in the batting order.
“If Shivam Dube is watching Harshit Rana being sent ahead of him, and if he is not getting to play against spin, which is his strength, then he might lag behind a bit. In my opinion, use him as a floater, whenever spin is on, just send him. But his graph overall as a cricketer, is going up,” Pathan said.
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Team India will face Australia in the fourth T20I of the series at the Carrara Oval in Gold Coast on Thursday, November 6. The series is currently level at 1-1.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/news-not-like-shubman-gill-know-this-irfan-pathan-s-stunning-claim-team-india-star-s-axe-playing-xi-ahead-aus-vs-ind-2025-4th-t20i