Former South African captain Shaun Pollock reckons the differences in pressure of IPL and International cricket have made a major difference in Shubman Gill’s form in the shortest format of the game. While Gill scored 650 runs in IPL 2025, he hasn’t been at his absolute best in T20Is since he has been given the vice-captaincy onus.

Gill has failed to even score a fifty in the last 13 T20Is for India, with the highest score of 47. The flamboyant batter was dismissed for four runs in the opening T20I against South Africa at the Barabati Cricket Stadium, Cuttack on Tuesday.

Shaun Pollock said on Cricbuzz, “You think of how well they play in the IPL. But there is no real pressure on you because you are one of the main players. You’re never going to be even considered to be dropped no matter how you go. And then you get into the Indian side, where there is real competition for places. It creates just a little bit of a different mindset and a different dilemma. You know you’re not secure if you don’t produce.”

Pollock feels Gill knows that his position could be at stake if he doesn’t perform as per the expectations in T20Is.

Pollock added, “But Shubman Gill, maybe he feels a little bit of the expectations. He’s probably disappointed himself that he hasn’t been able to get a decent score. He’s a far better player than that. He should be getting fifties every three or four knocks that he plays. So it’s just an extra thing that’s put on your mind that if you don’t produce, you might actually not play, which is never the case when you play in the IPL.”

Gill will look to bounce back strongly as openers like Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Ruturaj Gaikwad are waiting in the wings.

The second T20I between India and South Africa will be played at Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, Chandigarh, on Thursday.