Shubman Gill breaks silence on his T20I comeback for India before IPL 2026 final

Team India’s opening batter and captain of the Test as well as the ODI side, Shubman Gill has been exceptional with the bat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. With 722 runs across 15 innings, averaging 48.13, Gill has led his IPL side – Gujarat Titans (GT) upfront as they eye the title glory. Addressing the media ahead of the much-anticipated IPL 2026 final, Gill was asked about his comeback in Indian colours in T20Is.

The 26-year-old Punjab-born didn’t shy away from accepting his past stint in the shortest format while admitting to continuing working on his game. When asked of his comeback, Gill quickly replied,“I’d be happy to play if I get picked for the T20 team. Honestly, I want to keep working on my game. I want to keep getting better as a T20 batsman, as an ODI batsman, as a Test batsman.“

Shubman Gill’s T20I comeback went wrong

The right-handed batter last featured in T20Is during India’s home series against South Africa in December 2025.

Although the 26-year-old had a difficult run prior to his return in 2025, his inclusion led to the demotion and ousting of wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson for the T20Is. Prior to Gill’s comeback, Samson had formed a strong opening pair with Abhishek Sharma. However, BCCI’s ploy to make Gill a three-format starter didn’t work.

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Across 15 matches last year, Gill could only manage 291 runs at an average of 24.25 and was eventually dropped from the T20 World Cup 2026 squad of the reigning champions. He failed to make a single fifty.

Since Team India’s title defense in the shortest format at the global stage, the competition has only gotten tougher for players to retain their position. While Sanju Samson has cemented his position, courtesy of a brilliant performance at the top of the order in the World Cup 2026, Abhishek Sharma has continued his stellar run.

Moreover, Ishan Kishan has also impressed since his return and the emergence of 15-year-old teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has just taken the competition on another level. 

While Gill’s stellar IPL 2026 has reopened conversations of his return, it simply relies on the hands of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee whether the Punjab-born player will be looked forward to in this format, where he has scored 869 runs across 36 matches, averaging 28.03. 

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