(Image source from: PTI)
Will Shubman Gill be selected for the Asia Cup? Following an impressive Test series between India and England, where the captain accumulated more than 750 runs across five matches, many believe he will be included in the T20I team regularly moving forward. Gill last appeared in T20Is in July 2024. Since that time, India has played series against England, Bangladesh, and South Africa, but Gill hasn't participated. Even though he has scored a century in T20Is, a report from RevSportz suggested that Gill's inclusion in the Asia Cup squad is not guaranteed. The report mentioned that "to state that Gill will be chosen and made vice-captain is too early." The basis for this claim is that while Gill’s skills and form are unquestionable, the T20I team already has a stable setup, and adding him could be unfair to other players. Sources indicate that to fit Gill into the playing XI, Sanju Samson would need to be moved down the batting order. Alongside Samson, Abhishek Sharma is currently the top T20 batter, and Tilak Varma typically bats in the third position. The report also noted that "including Gill might mean not fairly representing other players."
The new Test captain, Shubman Gill, made a significant impact in the batting records with a total of 754 runs during the tour of England, achieving four centuries in five matches and earning the title of 'Player of the Series.' Already a strong contender in ODIs, with 2,775 runs and 22 scores over fifty in 55 ODIs, there have been discussions about including him in the upcoming T20 Asia Cup starting from September 9. India will begin their journey on September 10 against the UAE. Media reports suggest that Gill might return to the T20I squad, possibly taking on the role of vice-captain. Additionally, it has been indicated that he could be a candidate for the ODI leadership once the current captain, Rohit Sharma, steps down.
The key question is whether Gill aligns with India’s T20I strategy. His latest T20 performance was during the IPL 2025, where he scored 650 runs at a strike rate close to 156, securing six fifties in 15 matches and ranking as the fourth-highest run-scorer. He is recognized as one of the players likely to make a significant impact across all cricket formats for India in the upcoming decade. However, the selection process remains complicated. The last time India participated as a full T20I team, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were still available during the T20 World Cup 2024, with Gill serving as a traveling reserve outside the primary 15 players. Since then, scheduling changes and injuries have affected India's T20I selections.
Following the World Cup, Gill guided a less experienced Indian team to victory in a series held in Zimbabwe. The last time he represented India in T20Is was in July 2024. By the end of 2024, he had scored 266 runs in eight T20I matches, maintaining an average of 38.00 and a strike rate of 133, including two fifties during the Zimbabwe series. This brought his overall career statistics to 578 runs in 21 games, with an average of 30.42 and a strike rate exceeding 139, alongside one century and three fifties, despite having a shaky start in his T20I career. In July, he was named as Suryakumar Yadav's assistant for the T20I series, but due to the emphasis on Test cricket, Gill was not selected for T20Is, while Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Tilak Varma became the new leading trio for India.
