Shubman Gill eyes T20I redemption post World Cup omission

The Sri Lanka tour marks a new era for India with Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I captain and Shubman Gill as the vice-captain for both white-ball formats.

Gill's appointment comes after his stint as stand-in captain in Zimbabwe. Despite changes in personnel, Gill emphasizes that the basics remain the same.

"Communication has been the same like it used to be," said Gill at the press conference prior to the start of the T20I series.

"We're the World Champions and it is about doing more of the same. Hopefully we get more success with the new coach and support staff"

Gill, who shares a past with Gambhir at KKR, spoke positively about the new coach's clear communication.

"I think the line of thinking and mindset (of Suryakumar and Gambhir) are on the same page. I had played under Surya Bhai in South Africa too. Their understanding is similar and I think you'll get to see the effects on the field as well."

He also praised assistant coach Abhishek Nayar for his dedication.

"He (Nayar) is very hard working and stays on the ground for long hours till the players are satisfied with their own progress. I think that is his biggest positive."

Gill, who had a stellar IPL 2023, aims to improve his T20I performances.

"Speaking of the World Cup selection, I think my performances in T20I prior to that weren't as good as I had expected from myself. But going forward, we'll playing about 30-40 games in this cycle and the focus will be to perform better as a batter."

As vice-captain, he acknowledges the added responsibilities but remains focused on performing and winning matches.

"As a batsman, it doesn't change much. When I'm batting out there, I still need to perform and win matches for my team and my country. That doesn't change. But when you are on the field, you have to make a few more decisions than as a player, so I think that's the main difference."

His successful opening partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal is a key strength for India in T20Is.

"We really enjoy batting with each other. The kind of shots we both play, we compliment each other. Also being a rightie-leftie partnership (really helps). We've had many good partnerships in the limited games that we have opened together. We have a lot of clarity and understanding between us, and it is a lot of fun."