It seems as if the Indian team management is running out of ideas to defend Shubman Gill’s selection in the T20I squad, even as he continues to face intense scrutiny. The ongoing T20I series against South Africa has only sharpened the debate, with India’s failed chase in the second T20I amplifying questions about Gill’s approach at the crease and the management’s persistence with an underperforming superstar.

Gill was dismissed for a duck in the second T20I in Mullanpur on Thursday, after falling for four in the series opener in Cuttack, extending a run of modest scores since his T20I return in 2025. Despite having been entrusted with the vice-captaincy, Gill’s lack of runs — 263 from 14 innings at an average of 23.90 and a strike rate of 142.93, without a single fifty in 2025 — stand

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