Shubman Gill’s record 754 runs in nine innings in England has put him in the reckoning for a berth in India’s T20 squad ahead of the Asia Cup in the UAE next month.

The Test captain hasn’t played a T20I in more than a year and his last match was in Sri Lanka in July 2024. The Gujarat Titans captain, however, had a successful IPL with 650 runs in 15 matches at a strike-rate of 155.87.

The national selectors are scheduled to meet later this month to pick the 15-member squad, but informal discussions have already led to a lot of debate over Gill’s inclusion.

Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson had opened the innings in India’s last T20I series against England at home. Samson failed to make an impact in all five matches, with 26 being his highest.

Sources told The Telegraph that the selectors are still not convinced about Gill since the Test series against the West Indies begins within a week after the conclusion of the Asia Cup. However, there is firm belief that Gill’s experience will be needed when the T20 World Cup is held at home early next year.

Gill’s presence will help captain Suryakumar Yadav in planning and formulating strategies. The Test captain will also lead North Zone in the Duleep Trophy and there is a school of thought that he shouldn’t be pushed into the shortest format now. A call can be taken closer to the showpiece event depending on how the T20I team performs.

Surya is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru following a sports hernia surgery and is expected to be fit.

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan’s names have also cropped up following their performances in England. Gill’s opening partner at Titans, Sudharsan, was the Orange Cap holder in the last edition of the IPL with 759 runs in 15 matches.

The selectors don’t want a situation where Gill is among the XV but has to sit out. The Test captain will then partner Abhishek at the top of the order.

His inclusion will mean bad news for either Jaiswal or Sudharsan since the middle order is cramped with too many options.

Shreyas Iyer looks certain to return to the T20I squad following his exploits in the IPL. There seems to be no room for KL Rahul now, his stellar showing with the Delhi
Capitals notwithstanding. Rinku Singh could miss out in the circumstances.

If Samson is excluded, Dhruv Jurel or Jitesh Sharma could don the big gloves. The choice of the wicketkeeper could dominate the discussions since Samson had been groomed for the slot in the last few matches.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir’s opinion is expected to decide Samson’s fate.

Jasprit Bumrah’s availability is also under a cloud since the selectors will have to depend on the medical team’s feedback. There is no injury worry over the world’s No.1 fast bowler, but whether he can be spared ahead of the four Tests at home will be the tricky issue.

The same applies to Mohammed Siraj. The highest wicket-taker in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy played all five matches, never showing any signs of fatigue or compromising on pace and intent.

The team management will have the final say on Bumrah. If they want him to play only in ICC tournaments in the limited-overs formats to prolong his career, the selectors will have to agree to their wishes.

The focus will be on including all-rounders in keeping with the demands of the format. Washington Sundar, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel are certainties, along with Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi as specialist spinners.