"Not like Shubman Gill does not know this" - Irfan Pathan's stunning claim on Team India star's axe from playing XI ahead of AUS vs IND 2025 4th T20I

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan opined that under-fire batter Shubman Gill must be feeling the pressure of his lean patch, with talented players like Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting on the sidelines. The Indian T20I vice-captain has not been convincing with the bat since his return to the short format setup.

Shubman Gill made his comeback into the T20I team after a 14-month absence, during the 2025 Asia Cup campaign in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Since then, he has played 10 innings, scoring 184 runs at an average of 23. He is yet to score a single fifty, and has had a poor T20I series in Australia so far.

The opener was dismissed for 5 and 15 in his last two recent outings in Melbourne and Hobart, respectively. He has had a tough time settling in Australian conditions as he was unable to make an impact in the recently concluded three-match ODI series, either.

Irfan Pathan suggested that Shubman Gill must be aware of the outside noise, and feel the likes of Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal breathing down his neck.

"Once you give yourself a couple of overs to settle, you can always cover and catch up eventually. He has range, it is not like he does not have range. He must be thinking about the players sitting on the bench. A player like Sanju Samson is missing out. He has been involved in international cricket for 10 years, and he finally got a year where he scored 3 T20I hundreds, even after that he has to move out of his position to accommodate Shubman Gill. Now after getting demoted, he is getting dropped as well. A talented player like Jaiswal is also sitting out. It is not like Shubman Gill does not know this. So, there will be pressure," Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube channel.

The former player also remarked that Sanju Samson arguably deserved better, considering he had a breakthrough last year after a phase riddled with struggles and inconsistencies.

"If I am Sanju Samson, I would be thinking that even after working so hard, after scoring so many runs, things should have been much better than this. Even he must be thinking this. Sanju Samson, my prayers, my good wishes are with you," Irfan Pathan added.

Sanju Samson had availed the chance to open the innings amid the transition period immediately after the 2024 T20 World Cup. The wicket-keeper batter made the most of his opportunity, slamming 436 runs in 12 innings at an average of 43.60 and a strike rate of 180.17 in 2024. However, in 2025, the average has dropped to 18.50 and the strike rate to 120.92.

"If Shivam Dube is watching Harshit Rana being sent ahead of him" - Irfan Pathan on how Team India should use the all-rounder in the T20 setup

During the second T20I against Australia at the MCG, Shivam Dube had to come out at No.8 despite a top-order collapse as Harshit Rana was sent after the fall of the fifth wicket. The pacer stabilised the innings with 35 runs off 33 deliveries, but it was the 16th over by the time Dube came out to bat.

Irfan Pathan suggested that Dube should be used as a specialist hitter against spinners in the batting order.

"If Shivam Dube is watching Harshit Rana being sent ahead of him, and if he is not getting to play against spin, which is his strength, then he might lag behind a bit. In my opinion, use him as a floater, whenever spin is on, just send him. But his graph overall as a cricketer, is going up," Pathan said.

Team India will face Australia in the fourth T20I of the series at the Carrara Oval in Gold Coast on Thursday, November 6. The series is currently level at 1-1.

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Edited by Gokul Nair