Shubman Gill roared back to form with a hundred against Karnataka in the recently concluded Ranji Trophy tie, days after he returned from his second tour Down Under, where he failed with the bat. The newly-appointed Team India’s ODI vice-captain reflected on what went wrong with his game and technique against Australia, admitting a few technical failures led to a dip in his form.

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After the BCCI made it mandatory for every centrally contracted player to return to the drawing board (playing domestic cricket) following two series losses (to New Zealand and Australia), Gill opened for Punjab in their next Ranji game. He failed in the first innings, getting out on just four, but slammed his 14th first-class century in the next, even though that couldn't save Punjab from losing (by an innings and 207 runs).

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Looking back at some of his dismissals on the tour Down Under, his mistimed and misjudged shots in a single Test (fifth match in Sydney) cost him his wicket at the wrong time and eventually the result for India. While he nicked one to Steve Smith in the first slip just at the stroke of lunch (by dancing down to Nathan Lyon), he tried taking on the debutant Beau Webster, only for him to find an inside edge to the keeper. Both came when India needed him in the middle, but he failed.

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"Sometimes, I think with the red ball, in the matches that I play, I tend to get a very good 25-30, and, in those moments, I sometimes tend to put too much pressure on myself to be able to convert those," Gill said in Bengaluru. 

"That is not the way that I have grown up playing my game.

"There is a certain zone that I am in, certain intent that I am in, and sometimes I think I lose that because I put too much pressure on myself that I have to get a big run now that I am set. I think in those crucial moments, I sometimes lose my focus and concentration,” he added.

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Time for white-ball cricket

Gill is among the selected star players returning to the ODI squad for the England series and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, alongside white-ball captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and ace seamer Jasprit Bumrah. 

India will play three ODIs against England (starting Feb 6) before flying to Dubai for the eight-team tournament beginning February 19. Given Gill's promotion to the leadership group, he would open alongside Rohit, with uncapped Yashasvi Jaiswal picked as a backup opener. 

(With inputs from agencies)