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Just days after Shubman Gill was shockingly removed from India’s T20 World Cup plans, bringing an abrupt halt to his ambitions of becoming the next all-format captain, former England cricketer Monty Panesar delivered a tough verdict. Panesar said that, given Gill’s complacent approach to the game, he is not ready to lead India across all formats.
The BCCI had placed its trust in Gill in May, shortly after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli stepped away from Test cricket. Gill justified that faith with a record-breaking batting performance in England, where he also led India to a creditable 2-2 series draw. Encouraged by his success, the board widened its leadership roadmap around him and brought Gill back into the T20I setup after more than a year, ahead of the Asia Cup in September. He was reinstated as vice-captain and, a month later, promoted to ODI captain.
Those moves fuelled speculation that the BCCI was grooming Gill as India’s next all-format leader, with a potential T20I captaincy expected after the 2026 T20 World Cup in March.
However, the board eventually pulled the plug on the project following Gill’s prolonged poor run in T20Is. In 15 innings since his return, he managed just 291 runs without registering a single half-century, which ultimately led to his omission from the World Cup squad.
Speaking to ANI, Panesar praised Gill’s natural talent but criticised his shot selection, claiming he often plays lazy shots. He added that Kohli’s intensity and aggression were hallmarks of his captaincy across formats, qualities that, according to Panesar, Gill currently lacks.
“He is a complacent cricketer. He has a lot of talent, but he starts playing lazy shots in the game. Virat Kohli’s intensity and aggression are evident in all formats. Shubhman Gill can’t do that. Too much burden for him. He can’t be the captain of all formats. It is too much for him,” Panesar said.
After being dropped from India’s T20 World Cup plans, Gill has shifted his focus to 50-over cricket, with a home ODI series against New Zealand scheduled for next month. Ahead of the series, he will feature in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy for Punjab to gain match practice and a mental boost, before returning to lead the Indian team as captain. Gill had earlier missed the ODI series against South Africa while recovering from a neck injury sustained during the Kolkata Test last month, although he did play in the T20Is against the Proteas.
Panesar also reckoned that India are unlikely to miss Kohli in white-ball cricket, but said his absence is clearly being felt in the Test format.
“In white-ball format, you won’t miss Virat Kohli that much. But yes, in Test Cricket, it’s evident that Virat Kohli is not there, and the team’s intensity is lower,” Panesar said.
