India, March 20 -- A few months ago, Shubman Gill was the undisputed anchor in India's T20 batting lineup. Viewed as a long-term pillar and an all-format player, Gill's elevation to T20 vice-captaincy was considered a natural progression for someone who had already mastered the two other formats.

And yet, within months, Gill found himself edged out. The reason wasn't a sudden collapse of form nor was it a question of talent. Instead, it was about tempo. The new grammar of T20 batting-shaped by Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson-had suddenly rendered Gill's natural rhythm redundant.

All is not lost though. There might still be a scenario where Gill's patience could be useful. Or maybe he could close the gap a little? This is ...