Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 03:27am on 10 Dec 2025,Wednesday Sports
India crushed South Africa by 101 runs in their T20 World Cup preparation match in Cuttack, but the dominant win masks a critical flaw. Shubman Gill's inclusion has significantly weakened India's aggressive top-order approach. Since his return during the Asia Cup, India has crossed 200 just once in 13 matches, compared to six 200+ scores in 12 matches with the Abhishek-Sanju Samson opening pair. Despite scoring three T20I centuries last year, Samson sits out while Gill, the vice-captain struggles to justify his spot. India collapsed to 17/2 before Hardik Pandya's late assault saved them. With the World Cup approaching, India must decide: Does Gill truly belong, or is hierarchy trumping performance? (PC: India Today)
