Shubman Gill Eyes Improvement Ahead of 2026 ICC T20 World Cup

India's newly-appointed white-ball vice-captain Shubman Gill is determined to improve his T20I performance ahead of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup. Despite success in ODIs, Gill aims to boost his T20 numbers and hopes his vice-captaincy role will complement his game.

India's newly-appointed white-ball vice-captain Shubman Gill has expressed dissatisfaction with his T20I performances and aims to improve his stats ahead of the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The tour commences with a T20I match against Sri Lanka on Saturday, featuring three T20Is and three ODIs. Gill will be second-in-command to Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is and Rohit Sharma in ODIs.

Gill has scored 505 runs from 19 T20I games, averaging 29.7 with a strike rate of 139.5. Despite having a century and three fifties, his performances have not met his expectations, delivering 12 innings below 20 runs, including 10 single-digit scores. Contrastingly, he boasts strong ODI numbers with 2271 runs from 44 matches. Gill is determined to replicate his ODI form in T20Is.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Gill acknowledged his T20I shortcomings and emphasized the importance of improvement. The young vice-captain is focused on enhancing team performance over the upcoming 30-40 T20Is before the World Cup. He also highlighted the challenges and responsibilities of his vice-captaincy, affirming that it wouldn't hinder his on-field performance.

Gill is optimistic about his collaboration with T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, citing their strong communication. Following the retirements of T20I legends Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Gill will open with Yashasvi Jaiswal, marking a new era for Indian cricket. Gill praised his partnership with Jaiswal, emphasizing their complementary batting styles and good understanding on the field.

"We really enjoy batting together. Our shots complement each other, and a right-left combination helps," Gill stated. "Our understanding and communication are quite strong, and we've enjoyed our time together in T20I games."

(With inputs from agencies.)