India Vs South Africa: Has Shubman Gill Become A 'Far More Rounded Player'? Here's What Sanjay Bangar Said

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes that Shubman Gill's growth as a Test captain will benefit him as a player in other formats.

Gill is likely to feature prominently in the T20I series against the visiting South Africa, starting with the first match at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack, on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.

The 26-year-old is making a return to international cricket after missing almost a month of action. The top-order batter suffered a neck spasm while attempting a slog sweep during the first Test against the Proteas in Kolkata.

Gill took charge of the Test team following the retirement of Rohit Sharma, and in his maiden overseas tour as captain, he scored 754 runs in England. India shared the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar series 2-2.

His tally is now the second-highest by a captain in a series, only behind legendary Australian Don Bradman's 810 during the 1936-37 Ashes series.

In his first 12 Test innings as captain, Gill has scored 933 runs, including 179 in the subsequent series against the West Indies, matching Sunil Gavaskar's long-standing India record.

"The confidence Shubman Gill has now after doing so well in Test cricket over the last year will certainly help him. More than his skill, his mindset has grown," Bangar said while speaking on JioStar's 'Follow the Blues' program. "Taking extra responsibility as a Test Captain makes him a far more rounded player. He now understands the game situation and what is needed from him."

India vs South Africa T20I Series: Focus On Returning Players

In Gill's absence, India suffered a whitewash in the Test series with the Proteas recording a historic 2-0 win. On a turning Eden Gardens pitch, India were dismissed for 93 all out in the fourth innings while chasing a 124-run target.

The Kolkata debacle was followed by a 408-run defeat, their biggest in history, in Guwahati.

He also missed the three-match ODI series, which India won 2-1 under stand-in skipper KL Rahul. Evidently, the regular captain's absence wasn't felt as former skipper Virat Kohli, who hit two centuries and a fifty, and Rohit Sharma, played their part.

Now, in the shortest format of the game, India will reset their strategy, including the calls on returning Gill and all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

"At the top of the order, Shubman Gill could do the job for the team in T20I cricket. And if needed, Hardik Pandya could do a similar job in the middle order," Bangar added.

Gill has 837 runs in 33 T20Is at an average of 29.89 with one century and three fifties, a modest return considering his prolific Indian Premier League record -- 3,866 runs at an average of 39.44 with four tons.

Also, the return of Hardik Pandya for the five-match T20I series has significantly boosted India's strength. The 32-year-old was recuperating after sustaining a quadricep injury during India's Asia Cup match against Sri Lanka.

In his first competitive match in over two months, Pandya helped Baroda beat Punjab in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 match by seven wickets. He scored an unbeaten 77 off 42 balls and claimed a wicket. And tonight, the all-rounder could make his long-awaited return to international cricket.

"A fit Hardik Pandya allows the team to play its desired combination, especially with the spin options we have," Bangar added. "That's why his presence is critically very vital."

India are likely to field Pandya straight away, even though reports emerged that he opted out of the training on the eve of the first India vs South Africa T20I.

"Look at all the all-rounders in world cricket now. Does England have a backup for Ben Stokes? No. In one-day or even Test cricket, there is no backup for Ravindra Jadeja. It is the same with Hardik Pandya," Bangar said.

"He can command a spot in the top five on his batting alone. He could also be one of the top three seamers in any team if he were just a bowler. The point is, to be that kind of all-rounder, you must earn your place with your batting and also with your bowling. There is no other player like Hardik Pandya in the Indian team."

Meanwhile, the Proteas are eyeing their ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final defeat against. Chasing a 177-run target, they were 151/5 in 16 overs. But Pandya triggered a collapse, taking three wickets, including those of dangerous Heinrich Klaasen (52 off 27) and David Miller (21off 17), at the start of the 17th and 20th overs, respectively.

Klaasen retired from international cricket in June, but Miller is back for the T20Is, with renewed goals and bigger responsibility as the Proteas continue their preparation for the T20 World Cup next year in India and Sri Lanka.