Shubman Gill took a swing at a delivery that was pitched outside off and then made his way down the pitch. That pretty much sums up the Indian vice-captain’s brief time at the crease in Cuttack. Fresh off recovering from a neck injury, Gill didn’t seem interested in taking a couple of balls to find his rhythm. What’s happening with Shubman Gill in T20Is? Instead, he headed back to the pavilion after just 2 balls faced. This wasn’t the Gill we’ve come to know. The opener who consistently racks up impressive runs for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League at a remarkable pace. Over the last 3 seasons, Gill has maintained an average of 55 with a strike rate of 156.98. Those are some top-tier stats for a player often labeled as an ‘anchor’. Yet, in the past 18 months, whenever Gill has donned the Indian jersey, we haven’t seen that version of him. His shot selection during the India vs South Africa 1st T20I left many scratching their heads. Aakash Chopra has a theory about why Gill played the way he did in Cuttack. Here is what Aakash said on his YouTube channel: “What is Shubman Gill trying to do? I ask this question because it seems like he doesn’t play like this, but is trying to play like that. Why would he be doing that? It seems like he is too hasty to hit. The way he got out in Cuttack, he hit a four off the first ball, and then he jumped out and hit the next ball,” Read also: Why did Vijay Shankar register himself as uncapped player for 2026 IPL mini auction? It’s important to remember that Gill hadn’t played T20Is for India from July 2024 to August 2025. During that time, Sanju Samson was on fire, smashing records left and right. But when it came time for the 2025 Asia Cup, Gill was brought back into the fold. Not only was Samson dropped from the opener position, but Gill was also named as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy. Aakash believes this situation has impacted both Samson and Gill. With Samson performing at a strike rate over 180 and hitting 3 centuries before being sidelined, expectations skyrocketed. Now, with Gill stepping in, he’s under pressure to replicate those achievements. So far, he hasn’t managed to score a fifty since his return and hasn’t hit a strike rate of 140. It’s worth noting that Gill wasn’t dropped; he was rested to focus on Test cricket. It wasn’t his doing. But social media only cares about the numbers. They don’t consider the context; if you deliver results, you get praise. If not, you face the backlash. There’s no room for nuance. It’s all black and white.