To be or not to be could well be the dilemma in Shubman Gill's mind as he crisscrosses formats, having tweaked his technique from an unorthodox style to a more classical one that is not quite yielding the returns he may have envisaged in T20 Internationals.
Star India all-rounder Deepti Sharma on Tuesday rose to the top of the ICC women's T20I bowling rankings for the first time in her career.
'But you'll see that something always happens before every World Cup. I can say this from my experience of three World Cups -- it does have an effect.'
Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy completed 50 T20I wickets, becoming the second fastest Indian to reach the milestone in terms of matches played.
Intent does not always translate immediately into numbers, and effort however sincere needs to find expression in runs, especially with a World Cup drawing closer.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill's indifferent form is a massive concern but the national selection committee is unlikely to make any shocking changes when it picks the 15-member squad for next year's T20 World Cup in Mumbai on Saturday.
India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav crossed 4,000 international runs during the T20 World Cup Super 8 clash against Zimbabwe, continuing his stellar run in the shortest format.
'The runs from his bat at the top of the order will be crucial for India's success in this five-match series against South Africa.'
New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy is set to make his Twenty20 World Cup debut next month after being picked in the 15-member squad led by Mitchell Santner.
India lead the five-match series 2-1 and the contest in Ahmedabad on Friday will be their last assignment for the calendar year.
These comments come after India recently announced their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Suryakumar Yadav is set to lead India in his first-ever ICC tournament as captain, with Axar Patel named as his deputy.
Formidable India will be eager to register a dominance-extending fourth victory on the bounce in the fourth women's T20I against Sri Lanka in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.
The lack of runs from captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill remains a talking point.
Hardik Pandya poised for double milestone in South Africa series
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar identified Shubman Gill's recent lack of runs and combination compulsions as reasons for his omission from India's squad for the T20 World Cup.
Deepti Sharma created a new record in women's cricket, while Shafali Verma smashed a blistering half-century as India thrashed Sri Lanka by eight wickets to seal the five-match T20I series 3-0.
'We have to show consistency and move forward with the current combination.'
Sunil Narine etched his name in history after becoming the first bowler to claim 600 wickets in competitive T20 cricket.
India all-rounder Axar Patel was on Monday ruled out of the remaining two T20 Internationals against South Africa due to illness with the BCCI's selection committee naming Shahbaz Ahmed as his replacement.
India spinner Varun Chakravarthy says his T20 World Cup preparation is centred around backing his lengths, maintaining confidence and constantly challenging himself mentally even in matches that appear straightforward.
India take on Australia in the 1st Women's ODI in Brisbane after a historic T20I series win. Alyssa Healy returns for her farewell ODI series, while Smriti Mandhana leads India's charge.
Joe Burns, the former Australian cricketer who masterminded Italy's fairytale qualification to their maiden T20 World Cup, will miss the tournament after being dropped by the Italian Cricket Federation (FCRI) amid contractual wrangles.
'India will have to use him carefully. If they want him to bowl three overs early, then Arshdeep Singh has to partner Bumrah in the death overs.'
India's jersey for 2026 T20 World Cup revealed
Out-of-form India vice-captain Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the last two T20I games against South Africa with a toe injury, sources close to the team told PTI.
'I'll tell you one thing straight away, that trust me, these two guys are going to win matches in World Cup (in February-March) and in this series as well.'
3rd Women's T20I: India look to seal series with another dominant show against Sri Lanka
As India gear up for the T20 World Cup at home, the selectors have backed a squad built on impact, and versatility.
New Zealand pacer Matt Henry will leave the T20 World Cup after the Super Eights clash against England to be with his wife for the birth of their second child, with a possible return if the team reaches the semifinals.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has been instructed by its sports ministry to seek shifting of the country's T20 World Cup league games from India to Sri Lanka as there are "concerns about players' safety".
Indian cricketer Rinku Singh's father passed away after battling stage-four cancer. Rinku had briefly returned home from the T20 World Cup to see his father.
The 34-year-old mystery spinner rewrote the record books during the fifth and final T20I against South Africa at Ahmedabad on Friday, casting a spell of his bamboozling spin magic on the Proteas batters, four of them surrendering to his bowling.
Steyn, however, said his team had "exceeded expectations" on their tour of India.
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka has apologised to his countrymen for their disappointing T20 World Cup campaign.
With India set to name their T20 World Cup 2026 squad on Saturday in Mumbai, the spotlight has firmly shifted to Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav, whose recent struggles have turned the selection meeting into a high-stakes call.
Star Sports withdraws its controversial 'cupcake' promo targeting South Africa after India's 76-run loss in the T20 World Cup Super 8 clash.
Shubman Gill is set to use the Vijay Hazare Trophy as his first platform for response after being left out of India's 2026 T20 World Cup squad.
Indian ODI and Test skipper Gill recently suffered a significant setback after being dropped from the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup and the New Zealand T20I series due to fitness and form concerns.
England bowling coach Tim Southee praised Jofra Archer's 'unbelievable skill' and backed Jos Buttler to rediscover form ahead of England's T20 World Cup Super Eight clash against New Zealand.
Rinku Singh will link-up with the Indian squad ahead of the must-win Super 8 clash against West Indies after attending the funeral of his father, who passed away following a battle with cancer.
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