Axed from India’s T20I side ahead of the triumphant ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill has insisted he has nothing to prove as he prepares to return to competitive action by leading Gujarat Titans in the upcoming Indian Premier League season.
The selectors picked Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan ahead of Gill in the squad that clinched India’s third T20 World Cup title on home soil. Both Samson and Kishan played key roles during the tournament as India became the only team to win three T20 World Cup titles.
With Gill currently on the sidelines in the shortest format, the right-hander is now focused on leading the Titans in the IPL, starting Saturday.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup squad, Gill said his mindset remains unchanged and that his focus continues to be on contributing to his team’s success.
“Honestly I am not the one to look too much into personal goals. I like to, whatever team I am playing for, whether it be for my country or for Gujarat, I like the team that I am playing for, I like them to win,” Gill said.
“And that is where my personal goal starts and that’s where it ends. So for me, I think the goal doesn’t change. Make my team win as many matches as possible. Obviously, as a team, when you are playing, if you are playing the IPL, you are playing to win the IPL. If you are playing a series, you are looking to beat the other team in the series. So those are the goals that I look forward for.
“My personal goal right now is obviously to win the IPL. Once that will end, obviously we are going to have some other tournaments within the team, so my personal goals would change into that. And that’s how I like to look about my goals,” he added.
India’s next T20I assignment is scheduled against Ireland in June. The team will also travel to England for a five-match series before hosting West Indies and Sri Lanka later in the year.
The next edition of the T20 World Cup is set to be held in Australia and New Zealand in 2028, and Gill remains confident about his ability to perform in the format.
“I think if you look at the past three or four seasons, I think I have the most runs in the IPL,” Gill said.
“So I don’t think I have anything to prove in this (IPL) season particularly. And the four years that I have played for this team, I think we have done decently well as a team. And I think I have done decently well as a batter.
“So I don’t think I need to prove to anyone my worth. I think I need to do what I have been doing for the past four years. And as a team, we need to be consistent, which I think we have been. And if we continue doing that sooner or later, I think we will win that trophy once more,” he added.