Manoj Tiwary has come hard at Gautam Gambhir. Shubman Gill’s reintroduction into India’s T20I team hasn’t yielded the expected results, and the former Indian cricketer has accused the head coach of backing certain players like Gill under the guise of a transition in the aftermath of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s retirement from T20I cricket.
Gill was the incumbent opener after Kohli and Rohit left the shortest format in June 2024. However, BCCI decided to prioritise Test and ODI cricket, giving him a rest from T20Is. In his absence, Sanju Samson thrived but was abruptly removed from the position in the 2025 Asia Cup.
Manoj Tiwary questions Shubman Gill’s inclusion
Since returning to the T20I team, Gill has really struggled. All the while being a deputy to Suryakumar Yadav. Manoj thinks selection shouldn’t be on the basis of leadership but performance. Gill hasn’t done anything that warrants the spot over Samson, and the selectors and coaches must take the hard call by dropping him.
“The management seems to be backing players strongly under the name of transition. As long as the team is winning, players feel secure. External pressure is minimal, but internal pressure to score and play at a high strike rate remains. If a vice-captain is not contributing and a proven performer is sitting outside, selectors and coaches must make tough decisions based on the team’s goals,” Manoj told RevSportz.
The former all-rounder doesn’t think reputation or name should play a role in selection. He also warned Team India that backing Gill to the hilt could backfire big time. He cautioned that if the Men in Blue want to defend their T20 World Cup title, they must take bold decisions or else regret the decision afterwards.
“Leadership should not guarantee selection. Performance should. If India wants to win the World Cup, decisions must be fair, bold, and based on contribution, not reputation or future planning alone,” he added.
Shubman Gill T20I stats in 2025
| Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 291 | 47 | 24.25 | 137.26 | 0 | 0 |
