Chopra, Pathan spark debate over Gill vs Sanju for opening slot as Team India backs Shubman: 'Time for change is now'

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra and Irfan Pathan engaged in an intense discussion over whether Shubman Gill should continue to open for India, or if it’s time to bring Sanju Samson back to the top. The discussion stemmed from another poor performance by India’s T20 vice-captain Gill, who got out for a first-ball duck in the unsuccessful 214-run chase vs South Africa in the second T20I at New Chandigarh on Thursday.

Gill has managed just 263 runs in 14 T20Is in 2025, while he scored 266 last year in just eight matches. For a while, Gill was not in the scheme of things in the T20Is before making a surprising return after over one year during the Asia Cup 2025 in September.

As a result, Samson lost his place as an opener. The Kerala batter was pushed down the order and later put on the bench in favour of Jitesh Sharma. Samson, as an opener, scored 522 runs in 17 matches and also smashed three centuries. Meanwhile, Gill is yet to hit a fifty since returning to the T20 team.

Chopra, Pathan discuss Gill’s poor form

Gill has a best score of 47, but in the last six matches, he has crossed 20s only twice. Now, with the T20 World Cup 2026 only two months away, Gill’s prolonged poor form has become a concern as India suffered a defeat by a margin of over 50 runs for the first time at home.

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During the second India vs South Africa T20, former opener Aakash Chopra asked the pertinent question about Gill’s form while commentating as he wondered if there could be a change at the top in the Indian T20 side.

“Gill, who is vice captain in T20Is…will there be a discussion on his name because you also have Sanju Samson. He averages 32 as an opener, but look at that strike rate, it is nearly 180. Sanju has three centuries. Two he hit against South Africa and Bangladesh. So has the deal been sealed, or is it open for debate?” Chopra said on Star Sports.

Irfan Pathan, who was also on air, said it’s an important question to ask, but if management wants to make a change, it has to be done now, as the World Cup is not very far away.

“Question will be this only? Shubman Gill was brought into the T20I team after a long time. He was made the vice-captain and given opportunities. Gill has a strike rate of 140. Samson has a strike rate of 147. How close to the World Cup can you change your opener, if you want to change?” Pathan wondered.

“Because if there’s a time to change, it’s now, unless you have decided that not Sanju Samson but Shubman Gill will be our opener.”

Team India management comes out in Gill’s support

For those wondering if Samson can really be back in India’s playing XI, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate made it pretty clear after the defeat in New Chandigarh that they are going to stick with Gill.

“I saw some good signs of a change of mentality (from Gill) on the backend of that Australian tour (in November),” ten Doeschate said. “The two dismissals in this series (against South Africa), I thought in the first game we asked the guys to go out there and attack the Powerplay and it wasn’t a great wicket at Cuttack, so I will let him off that one.

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“And I thought he got a good ball today which can happen when you are short on form. But we also know the class. If you look at his IPL record where he stacks up 700 runs, 600 runs, 800 runs, 600 runs.

“We believe in his class and we believe he will come good.”