Pressure mounts on Gill as India look to continue momentum against South Africa

Still looking to firmly establish himself in the shortest format, Shubman Gill will be aiming for significant gains on home soil as a well-balanced Indian side seeks to extend its dominance over South Africa in the second T20 International on Thursday.

With only a travel day separating the first two matches of the five-game series, Gill will welcome the chance to get back into the middle in search of a meaningful innings.

India swept aside South Africa in the opener, but Gill’s modest returns since his T20 comeback during the Asia Cup in September continue to draw attention. After an impressive debut as Test captain in the UK, he was reinstated in the T20 setup.

Despite Sanju Samson and Gill’s Punjab teammate Abhishek Sharma performing well at the top, the team management backed Gill as a T20 opener.

Samson was pushed aside, and since then he has struggled to regain a place in the XI. Gill, now also India’s Test and ODI captain, can play the steadying role Virat Kohli had fulfilled until last year’s T20 World Cup, but India’s deeper batting lineup — extending to number eight — has encouraged a fearless approach since their triumph in Barbados, leaving limited space for an anchor.

Gill cannot attack in the powerplay as relentlessly as Abhishek Sharma, meaning he must find an approach that suits his strengths.

Alongside him, captain Suryakumar Yadav is under enhanced scrutiny after a year of inconsistent performances. With India defending the World Cup at home in a few months, runs from Suryakumar’s bat remain vital.

In the cooler conditions of New Chandigarh, India are unlikely to alter a winning XI. Hardik Pandya, returning from injury, reminded everyone why he is considered one of the game’s top all-rounders: his 28-ball 59 proved decisive on a slow pitch, and he struck with the ball immediately.

Tuesday’s selection hinted that Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav are unlikely to feature together due to India’s priority of maintaining batting depth. Arshdeep was chosen this time, and India’s leading T20 wicket-taker once again delivered early breakthroughs alongside Jasprit Bumrah.

South Africa, meanwhile, will seek a vastly improved batting effort after being skittled for 74 while chasing 176.

The quick turnaround leaves little time to dwell on the defeat, which skipper Aiden Markram sees as a positive. “In T20 cricket, there’s not much time to look around and absorb.

The biggest factor was not being able to build partnerships and settle after losing wickets. We’ll have brief conversations,” he said.

The venue will host its first-ever men’s T20 International, having staged two women’s ODIs in September.

Kohli closes in on Rohit at top of ODI batting rankings: Virat Kohli’s twin centuries and an unbeaten half-century in the recently concluded ODI series against South Africa have helped him make additional progress in the latest ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings and get closer to replacing team-mate Rohit Sharma as the No. 1 ODI batter.

Kohli has not attained the No.1 ranking since Pakistan’s Babar Azam overtook him in April 2021. However, he is now nearing the top position again, thanks to his excellent performances at home. The 37-year-old was named Player of the Series for scoring 302 runs in three matches, and he was rewarded with a rise in the latest rankings, moving up two places to second overall behind teammate Rohit.

Rohit scored a total of 146 runs throughout the series, securing his position at the top of the rankings. Meanwhile, Kohli narrowed the gap to within eight points, thanks to his unbeaten 65 not out in the series finale in Visakhapatnam. India’s upcoming ODIs include a three-match series against New Zealand at home starting from January 11. All attention will be on Kohli and Rohit as they compete to secure the top position in the ODI rankings.

Kohli wasn’t the only Indian player to see significant improvements in the updated rankings this week; teammate KL Rahul also made notable progress in the ODI rankings for batters.

The wicketkeeper-batter climbed two spots to rank 12th overall. Left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav was the biggest mover among ODI bowlers, rising three places to third.

Agencies