Shubman Gill was told to stop holding back in T20 cricket, with former New Zealand batter Simon Doull saying the India opener has nothing to lose after being left out of the T20 World Cup squad at the last moment. Doull said Gill should play with more freedom at the top of the order and set the tone as a leader.
The message comes as Gill returns to the IPL after a quick start for Gujarat Titans. He made 39 runs against Punjab Kings in his first match of the season at a strike rate of 144.44, then missed the second game because of a minor injury. His next test was due on Wednesday night against Delhi Capitals.
Doull's point was blunt: Gill is not in India's T20I setup right now, and that should change the way he approaches every innings. He said Gill can do what Yashasvi Jaiswal is doing this year, and that a more aggressive mindset could help turn good starts into the kind of 200 to 220 totals teams chase in modern T20 cricket.
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The timing matters because Gill's omission from India's T20 World Cup squad was linked to concerns about his strike rate in the format. Jaiswal also missed that squad, but has kept batting aggressively in the IPL and holds the Orange Cap. Gill, who leads Gujarat Titans, now has a chance to answer the same criticism with his bat rather than with words.
Doull did not ask for caution. He asked for release. If Gill can get out of his own way and attack from the top, the former cricketer believes he can force the innings forward and give Gujarat Titans the sort of starts that change matches.
