"It never makes sense to me" - Former RCB seamer slams Shubman Gill's critics after AUS vs IND 2025 4th T20I

Former India pacer Varun Aaron slammed the people questioning Shubman Gill's place in the T20I setup after his gritty performance in the fourth T20I against Australia at the Carrara Oval in Gold Coast on Thursday, November 6. The opening batter top scored with 46 runs off 39 deliveries as the visitors secured a 48-run win to claim a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

The opener had a challenging task at the top of the order on a sticky wicket, with large square boundaries. Following a decent start in the powerplay along with Abhishek Sharma, the ace batter anchored the innings, holding one end, before his dismissal in the 15th over. The Men in Blue suffered a massive collapse following his dismissal, adding only 43 runs in the last six overs, while losing six wickets.

Fans questioned Shubman Gill's intent, especially at the halfway mark, as his strike rate read 117.95. Coming on the back of a couple of poor outings in the series, combined with the fact that players like Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal were on the sidelines, there was immense pressure on the ace player ahead of the penultimate match of the series.

Varun Aaron, however, defended the opening batter's approach, considering the tricky conditions out in the middle.

"The thing with Gill is that when conditions don't favour batting, you can always put your money on Shubman Gill because of his technique, because of his poise, and because of his game awareness. He knows exactly what wicket offers, what kind of stroke play, and he plays according to that. So you need somebody like him in the T20 setup," Varun Aaron said on said on Star Sports (via India Today). "When people raise questions about Shubman Gill being in the T20 setup, it never makes sense to me because this is what he gives you when everybody else fails on a wicket that is slightly difficult compared to the other wickets in this whole series. He gives you a 46, which is worth its weight in gold," he added.

The Australian batters struggled to get going in the run chase as they crumbled to 119 all out to record their second successive loss in the series.

"The way Abhishek and Shubman started the powerplay" - Suryakumar Yadav hails vice-captain's display in AUS vs IND 2025 4th T20I

Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav also reserved praise for Shubman Gill following the win. He lauded the opening combination for their early assessment of the wicket, and batting accordingly to set the team a decent platform.

"Credit goes to all the batters. Right from the top, the way Abhishek and Shubman started the powerplay, they realized it was not a normal wicket to get 200-220. Very smart batting and everyone chipped in. It was a complete team effort," the captain said during the post-match presentation.

India's tour of Australia will come to a close with the fifth T20I scheduled for Saturday, November 8, at The Gabba in Brisbane.

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Edited by Gokul Nair