Shubman Gill‘s recent performance as India’s ODI captain in Australia has faced scrutiny after a 1-2 series loss, where he managed only 43 runs across three matches. The 26-year-old opener, who has been leading in multiple formats and playing continuous cricket since September 2024, has experienced a decline in his white-ball cricket performance this year, despite his successful Test captaincy stint in England where he scored over 750 runs with four centuries.Gill’s struggles in limited-overs cricket have become apparent, particularly in his recent outings. During the Asia Cup last month, where he served as vice-captain, he scored only 127 runs in seven matches at an average of 21.16. The Australian ODI series saw him register modest scores of 10, 9, and 24.
Former cricket experts have attributed Gill’s current form to his extensive workload and the pressures of captaincy. Since September, his schedule has included the Asia Cup, West Indies Tests, and the upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia, with only a month’s break in August.“He has played a lot of matches lately. He has to open the batting and also captain the team in multiple formats,” said Mohammed Kaif while discussing Gill’s situation. “Then, there is the IPL captaincy as well. With the auction coming up, there will be calls with the Gujarat Titans for planning. There is a lot on his plate at once, and it seemed like it had affected his batting a bit. He looked mentally tired.”Krishnamachari Srikkanth has pointed out additional factors affecting Gill’s performance. “After performing in England, probably he is also putting pressure on himself. He shouldn’t do that and just play his game. He actually played well today but just got a superb delivery from Hazlewood. More than Shubman Gill getting himself out, it was a wicket-taking delivery that got him.”The pressure of replacing Rohit Sharma as captain while still opening alongside him has also been noted as a contributing factor to Gill’s current form. Srikkanth elaborated on this aspect, saying, “But he does look to be under pressure, just observing his body language because he has replaced Rohit Sharma as the captain, while also opening alongside him.”The presence of Yashasvi Jaiswal in the squad has added another dimension to the situation. “And on the other side, everyone is asking why Yashasvi Jaiswal isn’t playing. All that adds to his pressure. But he’ll get over it as he’s a fantastic player. He should just play his normal game because he’s getting his strides and shots right. He’s just getting out, that’s the only thing. So once he produces a couple of big knocks at home against South Africa, he’ll be set again,” Srikkanth added.Gill’s schedule continues to be demanding as he is set to participate in the T20I series against Australia, following which he will face South Africa in upcoming matches. His performance in these series will be crucial for both his personal form and his role as a captain across formats.
