Former Indian batter Subramaniam Badrinath reckons the upcoming season of the IPL could potentially be a turning point for Shubman Gill. Gill scored 650 runs in 15 matches of IPL 2025 and played a key role in taking the Gujarat Titans to the playoffs.

Gill was named as India’s T20I vice-captain after the England tour but could not grab his opportunity and was dropped ahead of the T20 World Cup. He could only average below 25 in 15 matches and thus was ignored by the selectors.

Badrinath said on Star Sports, “I feel this IPL will be a turning point for him. He has been dropped from the Indian T20I side, so he will have a point to prove. Lest we forget, he is the ODI and Test captain but can’t find a spot in the T20 squad. He must have felt hurt to be dropped just before the World Cup.”

India’s T20I team has top-order batters like Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, and Abhishek Sharma performing consistently. Furthermore, batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, and Ruturaj Gaikwad are waiting in the wings.

Badrinath added, “The opening area is already crowded in the Indian setup with Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and even Yashasvi Jaiswal. So Shubman Gill has to up his game. He can return to the Indian mix only if he performs well in the upcoming IPL.”

On the other hand, former Indian opener Murali Vijay said Gill’s form is going to be crucial for the Gujarat Titans.

“His form is going to be important for GT as he has to captain the side, score runs, and make the right decisions under pressure. I think he will do an extraordinary job. Gill is definitely an all-format player and will eventually make his way through, said Vijay (via the aforementioned source).

Gujarat Titans will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Punjab Kings at Mullanpur on 31st March.