Despite his heroics on debut as Test captain and a record-breaking tour of England, Shubman Gill – touted by experts as India’s next all-format mainstay – might not even find a place in the T20I side for the Asia Cup. A fresh report claims his case could be hindered by Sanju Samson, who has emerged as a key opener in the format.
According to a report in RevSportz, sources close to the development outlined Samson’s brilliance in the format, where he scored three centuries in the last 10 T20Is for India, and hence, “it wouldn’t be fair to push him down the order and accommodate Gill.” The report further highlighted that the “set” line-up also comprises Abhishek Sharma, the world’s number-one T20 batter, and Tilak Varma, the second-ranked batter.
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Moreover, under head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav, the team has sought continuity – something even Gill acknowledged during a press conference in England. The Asia Cup will serve as a dress rehearsal for next year’s home T20 World Cup, making it unlikely for India to disrupt that continuity after months of preparation and risk creating uncertainty in the dressing room.
Despite the dilemma, Gill has an impressive record in T20Is for India, scoring 578 runs in 21 matches at a strike rate of 139.27, including three fifties and a century. This was one of the reasons he was named Suryakumar’s deputy in the format in July last year, when India took the first step towards a new direction after Gambhir’s appointment as head coach. However, with Gill prioritising the longer formats ahead of the Australia tour and the Champions Trophy, he did not play any T20Is after the tour of Sri Lanka in July 2024, following which Axar Patel was named vice-captain.
Not to forget, Gill also had a phenomenal IPL 2025 season, clobbering 650 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 155.88, including six fifties.