Gill must play the Virat Kohli role in T20Is, feels Deep Dasgupta

New Delhi, Dec 15 (PTI) Former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta feels that India's T20I vice-captain Shubham Gill, who is currently struggling to get going in the shortest format, has to play a similar role what Virat Kohli did for so long by consistently holdiing on to one end.

The Indian Test and ODI skipper, who returned to the T20I setup during the Asia Cup and was named deputy to Suryakumar Yadav, has managed just 291 runs in 15 innings so far, a return that does not quite match his reputation as a batter.

"For me Shubman's role is very different, because if you see most of the other players are stoke players, so it is a kind of role that Virat played so well and did so well through the years, that is holding on one end while everyone plays around," Deep told PTI Videos.

He added that Gill needs to be the pivot around whom the rest of the batting lineup revolves.

"I think I see Shubman in that role that Virat played. He is that fulcrum that everyone plays around him, not necessarily a high strike rate as others but consistent than the others that is the role that I see," he added.

Reigning champions India will begin their T20 World Cup title defence facing the USA in Mumbai on February 7 and Dasgupta feels both captain Suryakumar Yadav and Gill who are struggling for runs should focus on spending time at the crease.

"I don't think it will be bothering them, but ideally you would want them (Gill and Sky) to start firing again. If you want them to be fearless, that will come with a price and that price being consistency. That's one thing that you have to be mindful about," he said.

"But there will be concern and we would ideally want Surya and everyone to be in form and unfortunately we don't have many matches before the World Cup. But they are good enough, hopefully it's just a matter of time." On the debate around split coaching for the Indian team following the humiliating Test series whitewash against South Africa, Dasgupta termed it a short-term fix and stressed the need for a more comprehensive solution for the red-ball side.

"Those are like band-aid solutions, right? I think where Indian Test team is, I think we need a deeper solution, a more rounded solution than just band-aid," he said.

"I think we, it's like you're treating the symptoms, right? So I think it'll be a knee-jerk reaction to just think about those things. I don't know whether that might happen or not happen, but that's not how I see it." On the prospects of India’s two batting veterans, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, heading into the 2027 World Cup, he said there was never any doubt about their credentials.

"I think most of the people never had a doubt in terms of what they can do or what they can. I mean, they're absolute giants of the game. So there was, I would be quite foolish to doubt their credentials," he said.

"The big question is sustainability. I mean, I'm glad they're playing Vijay Hazare and I hope they keep playing till 2027. Comparative cricket where it's domestic in India, maybe outside, maybe play in England in the summer. And obviously, there would be international games from now until 2027." On Chennai Super Kings, getting star wicket-kepper batter Sanju Samson on board, Deep believes that the the management should not rush him to the leadership role instead just let him settle down and slowly get him into that set up.

"Obviously, he would be part of the leadership group but then I would like to see him be eased into that rather than forced into it," he said. PTI HN TAP