IND vs SA: "Talks were around freeing up"- Indian assistant coach reveals how they are working on getting best out Shubman Gill in T20Is

Shubman Gill got out for single digits in the first two T20Is against South Africa.

While India’s T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill is facing a lot of flak for his ongoing struggles in T20Is, the management has left no stones unturned to defend him. India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate gave strange reasons to back the right-handed batter, saying that the captaincy responsibilities and workload affected his form in the last two matches against South Africa.

Gill has thoroughly struggled too score runs in the previous two T20Is against South Africa. In the opening game in Cuttack, he got out for four runs. In the second clash, he bagged a golden duck, giving a big blow in India’s mammoth chase of 214 runs.

Earlier in September, the 26-year-old returned to the shortest format ahead of Asia Cup 2025. He was named as the vice-captain and also took the opening slot from Sanju Samson. However, being unable to score fifties in any of the 14 T20Is this year, Gill has failed to make a mark in the shortest format.

As his batting woes continue in the ongoing T20I campaign against the Proteas, fans and cricket experts have criticised his spot in the team over Samson. The latter was moved to the middle-order after Gill’s comeback, but has now lost his place in the playing XI in the ongoing series against South Africa.

He was too caring and maybe a little bit too tight: Ryan ten Doeschate defends Shubman Gill

Speaking after India’s defeat in the second T20I in New Chandigarh, Doeschate defended Gill’s dismal form in the ongoing series. He said that Gill wanted to carry forward his leadership duties in the shortest format too, which might have affected his form.

“Taking on the captaincy the way he did in England, and how well he led and how much pride he took in that performance, I think an element of that carried over into what he wanted to do in the T20 side. So, if anything, he was too caring and maybe a little bit too tight,” he said.

“Like I said, towards the back end of Australia, the talks were around freeing up a little bit more, trying to relinquish that responsibility – certainly in that capacity where you feel like it is all about you and you really need to justify your place in the team,” Doeschate added.

Notably, Samson hammered three T20I centuries last year while sharing the opening slot with Abhishek Sharma. His snub from the top slot has become a hot topic of discussion in the Indian cricket fraternity.

Meanwhile, the five-match T20I series between India and South Africa is tied 1-1 after two games. The next encounter will take place on December 14 in Dharamsala.

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