Shubman Gill had a lot to prove when he entered the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The right-handed batter was dropped right before the T20 World Cup and didn't get a chance to play a part in the title-winning run for India despite coming into the side six months before as the vice-captain. Once he was included for the Asia Cup, the runs dried up, and hence he was eventually ousted from the squad for the series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup.
However, the 26-year-old stormed back with a bang in IPL 2026, finishing as the second-highest run-getter and also leading his franchise, the Gujarat Titans, to the final, where the team fell short against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar is mighty impressed with Gill's run of form, saying he will always be sought after as far as T20S are concerned because India has to play matches overseas as well. He said that in difficult conditions, a batter like Gill will always be of value.
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“I remember saying that Shubman Gill is getting a bit lost in this race to get into the Indian T20I team. He has lost his place. But I just want to let the viewers know that all the T20 cricket that India plays is not going to be on Indian pitches. So when we talk about T20 performances, we look mostly at the IPL. But you could play a T20 tournament in England in future, in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, then it is not going to be as easy as in the IPL,” said Manjrekar on Sportstar's 'Insight Edge Podcast.
{{/usCountry}}“I remember saying that Shubman Gill is getting a bit lost in this race to get into the Indian T20I team. He has lost his place. But I just want to let the viewers know that all the T20 cricket that India plays is not going to be on Indian pitches. So when we talk about T20 performances, we look mostly at the IPL. But you could play a T20 tournament in England in future, in Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, then it is not going to be as easy as in the IPL,” said Manjrekar on Sportstar's 'Insight Edge Podcast.
{{/usCountry}}Manjrekar also urged the selectors led by Ajit Agarkar to keep Gill in the T20 scheme of things, as the talented batter would come in handy when the batting conditions aren't that friendly.
“That's when people like Gill will be sought after, and I almost feel it's imperative that people like Gill are in the T20 scheme of things, assuming India are going to play T20 matches on not so placid batting pitches,” he added.
How did Gill perform in IPL 2026?
In the 19th edition of the T20 tournament, Gill's standout performance came in Qualifier 2 against the Rajasthan Royals, where he smashed 104 runs, helping the Titans to enter the final and set up the clash against RCB.
Overall, Gill played 16 matches in the IPL 2026 season, smashing 732 runs at an average of 45.75 and a strike rate of 163.02. Even his opening partner, Sai Sudharsan, amassed more than 700 runs in the tournament.
However, Gill failed on the big night, as he didn't get going in the final against RCB, and once he and Sudharsan returned to the hut, the door to a win was shut on the Titans.