It seems like a lean phase for Shubman Gill, not just on the field but also outside it. The 26-year-old was ruled out of the fourth T20I against South Africa in Lucknow due to a foot injury. The last-minute fitness mishap set the stage for Sanju Samson's return but the match was abandoned without a single ball bowled due to fog.
Ahmedabad has been Gill's happy hunting ground in the IPL where he also captains the Gujarat Giants. His only T20I hundred also came at this venue. However, the Punjab batter will once again miss out during the fifth T20I against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday (December 19). RevSportz suggests that his foot injury will take a bit more time to heal.
This now means a certain return to the starting XI for Sanju Samson who has been in the spotlight ever since Gill returned to the T20I squad during the Asia Cup. Having peeled off three T20I hundreds in 2024 as an opener with a strike-rate of 179 at the top of the order, critics and fans alike have vouched for Samson to replace Gill.
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However, Gill's comeback to the T20I squad also saw him take up the vice-captaincy role, a hint that the team management trusts him to be a permanent member, even if it has to be at Samson's cost. The Kerala batter was moved down to an unfamiliar lower middle order spot and then benched for Jitesh Sharma.
Now, with Gill injured, Samson has a golden opportunity to once again stake his claim. It would be foolish to assume that this one knock will make or break Samson, or Gill for that matter. However, a significant score by Samson will continue to pile the pressure on Gill who hasn't had a T20I fifty in 18 successive innings.
