India’s T20 Batting Problem: Why Gill and SKY Need to Be Questioned

India’s big loss to South Africa in the second T20I (by 51 runs) shows there are big problems with the batting team. We need to look closely at the current form of opening batsman Shubman Gill and captain Suryakumar Yadav (SKY).

Their recent struggles make the case for including two high-impact hitters – Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer much stronger.

Shubman Gill- The Opener Who Isn’t Scoring

Gill is a great player but his recent T20 scores are worrying for Indian fans with him not giving India the fast start it needs.

• Poor Recent T20I form- In his last 13 T20I games, Gill has scored only 263 runs. This means his average score is just 20.23 which is too low for an opener.
• No Big Scores -It is very concerning that he has not scored a fifty in his last 16 T20I innings. In the South Africa series, he scored 47 and then a duck.

You can see that the Indian test captain has been clearly struggling to make a case for himself to play in the T20I, let alone be the vice-captain. Heading into a World Cup year as defending champions, it is worrisome that a leader is not able to get some runs under his belt.

Suryakumar Yadav: The Captain’s Poor Run

The captain, SKY’s overall numbers are amazing and he is a world star. But right now he is clearly struggling and is not the player he once was, and a player the team needs.

Highest Score: His highest score in T20 Internationals in 2025 is an unbeaten 47, which he scored against Pakistan during the Asia Cup.

• Lean Patch: His slump has been prolonged, with reports stating he has failed to record a single fifty in his last 20 international innings across formats.
• Poor T20I Average: His average in T20Is in 2025 has dropped dramatically, hovering around 14 to 15, which is exceptionally low for a batsman of his calibre.
• Last 50+ Score: His last T20I half-century came much earlier, back in October 2024.

Ever since he has took over as captain, you could see him struggle to take charge and be the man team India needs. At this stage, less than 3 months away from the T20I World Cup in India, you wonder, will Suryakumar Yadav still be the captain?

Why Jaiswal and Iyer Must Play?

The following players have the numbers and the current form to make India’s T20 team much better. Even though Iyer is injured right now, he can be the only player to replace Suryakumar Yadav effectively as a captain and an aggressive middle-order batsman.

Yashasvi Jaiswal: The Aggressive Young Opener

Yashasvi Jaiswal should open the innings because he is naturally aggressive and scores fast.

• Better T20I record than Gill: Even in his short T20I career, Jaiswal is performed better than Gill with an average of 36.1 and superior strike rate of 164.32.

• Proven in the IPL: Jaiswal is a proven match-winner in the IPL:
  • 2025 IPL Season 559 runs with a strike rate of 159.71
  • 2024 IPL Season 435 runs with a strike rate of 155.91.
  • 2023 IPL Season 625 runs with a strike rate of 163.61.

Jaiswal has been scoring everywhere he plays across formats. In the few games he has played for India, he has performed well even though he was not given a long rope.

Shreyas Iyer – The forgotten T20 man

Shreyas Iyer has been left out too often, but his domestic and IPL form are too good to ignore. He has three major benefits of playing for India:

Elite T20I Form (Peak and Recent):

• Iyer’s career T20I stats are strong for a middle-order player: he has scored 1,104 runs at an average of 30.67 and a strike rate of 136.13 across 51 matches.
• His last T20I contribution was a crucial 53 runs off 37 balls against Australia on December 3, 2023, showing his ability to perform when last selected.
• In IPL 2025, he demonstrated high-impact form, scoring 604 runs at an outstanding average of 50.33 and an explosive strike rate of 175.07 for Punjab Kings.

Superior Current Statistical Case Against SKY:

Addressing Middle Order Fragility:

• Iyer is a specialist middle-order batsman known for his high run output and stability in the number 3 or 4 spot.
• His ability to play spin well, demonstrated consistently, is crucial for navigating the middle overs where India frequently loses momentum.

The Gill Selection is it Just for Show?

Many people believe that Shubman Gill is only kept in the T20 team because the BCCI wants him to be the next big star and captain across all three formats.

• Gill is already the official T20I Vice Captain and leads in Tests and ODIs. He is being prepared for the top job.
• This push for an “all-format face” means Gill is picked even when his numbers are not as good as pure T20 specialists like Jaiswal and Samson. The team is picking the future captain over the best current players.

The numbers are clear. To win T20 matches India needs to pick its most in-form and destructive players Jaiswal and Iyer (if recovered from injury) over players who are struggling like Gill and SKY.

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