Monday, 18 August 2025
Monday, 18 August 2025
Shubman Gill may be India’s Test captain and a key figure for the future, but his place in the Asia Cup 2025 T20 squad is uncertain, with selectors preferring Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as first-choice openers.
Gill, a one-day international mainstay, was handed the Test captaincy after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from the format earlier this year.
He silenced critics with a record-breaking series in England, scoring 754 runs and leading India to a 2-2 draw in a five-Test contest but his inclusion could still depend on head coach Gautam Gambhir’s inputs, reported Cricbuzz.
With Sharma and Samson establishing themselves as a blistering opening pair and Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting as a reliable back-up, India’s top order already looks settled.
If Gambhir pushes for Gill, the team management would have to open the innings with him and Jaiswal might have to make way.
There was also informal discussion on whether to drop Tilak Varma to accommodate Gill. But the team management felt it would be unfair on the left-handed batsman, who is ranked number two in the ICC T20I batting rankings.
Since India’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph under Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid, the team has played twenty T20 internationals. Gill led the first series after the title win, an away assignment in Zimbabwe with a second-string squad. He was then part of a T20I series in Sri Lanka, which doubled as Gambhir’s first assignment as coach.
Since then, Gill has not featured in T20Is, focusing instead on Tests.
Sharma and Samson have cemented themselves at the top, scoring 535 and 487 runs, at averages of 33 and 34, with strike rates of 193 and 171. They have embodied the fearless, high-tempo cricket India have embraced under Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav. The results have been emphatic, including a 4-1 thrashing of England earlier this year at home.
Gill scored 650 runs in IPL 2025 at a strike rate of 155, but his T20I strike rate stands at 139, dipping to 129.25 in his last seven innings.
His inclusion would almost force him into the XI, disrupting the well-settled top four. That could push him into the number three slot ahead of Tilak Varma, a move considered harsh on the youngster who has scored 413 runs at a strike rate of 170.
Jaiswal, who was part of the 2024 World Cup squad, has played only six T20Is since, scoring 221 runs at a strike rate of 170. He also tallied 559 runs at 159.71 in IPL 2025 for Rajasthan Royals. On form alone, Jaiswal appears to deserve the role of back-up opener in the Asia Cup squad.
14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the star of IPL 2025 with a strike rate of 206, has been backed by former captain and chief selector Kris Srikkanth for a spot.
Sai Sudharsan, IPL’s Orange Cap winner, has also made his case with consistency, but concerns remain over his strike rate.
Yadav has reportedly cleared a fitness test after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia following IPL 2025.
In the bowling department, Mohammed Siraj, despite finishing as India’s leading wicket-taker on the England tour, is likely to be dropped. Jasprit Bumrah is expected to retain his spot despite recent fitness issues, with Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana forming the pace unit.
Mohammed Shami is also set to miss out.
For the middle order, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav and Rinku Singh are considered certainties. Reports suggest India are considering a recall for Shreyas Iyer, who reinvented himself in IPL 2025 with 604 runs at a strike rate of 175, his best-ever season.
His experience and ability to dominate spin could be crucial in UAE conditions, where scoring tends to slow. This puts Riyan Parag in danger. The Royals all-rounder has been part of Gambhir’s T20I plans, but with Iyer’s return, he may lose out.
The all-rounder’s slot alongside Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya remains a toss-up between Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar.
