New Delhi [India], August 14 : The newly-appointed Test skipper, Shubman Gill, ate a massive chunk of batting record books following a 754 run outing during the tour of England, which saw him score four centuries in five matches and walk away with the 'Player of the Series' honours. Already a force to be reckoned with in ODIs, having scored 2,775 runs and 22 fifty-plus scores in 55 ODIs, there have been temptations to play him in the upcoming T20 Asia Cup, starting from September 9 onwards.
India will kickstart their campaign from September 10 against the UAE. There have been media reports that Gill could make his return to the T20I team, possibly as a vice-captain. As per reports, he could be in line to receive the ODI leadership once current skipper Rohit Sharma calls it quits, as per ESPNCricinfo.
The question is, does Gill fit in India's T20I plans?. His most recent T20 outing was in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, where he scored 650 runs at a strike rate of almost 156, with six fifties in 15 matches and emerged as the fourth-highest run-getter. He is also identified as one of the faces which could dominate all format cricket for India in the coming decade.
But the selection process is still complex, as last time when India played a full-fledged T20I squad, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were still around in the T20 World Cup 2024, with Gill as a travelling reserve outside the main 15 players. Since then, scheduling and injuries have influenced India's selection in T20Is.
After the WC, Gill led a second-string Indian side to series win in Zimbabwe, and July 2024 was the last time he played T20Is for India. He ended the year 2024 with 266 runs in eight T20Is at an average of 38.00, strike rate of 133 and two fifties from the Zimbabwe series, improving his stats overall to 578 runs in 21 matches and innings at an average of 30.42, with a strike rate of over 139, a century and three fifties following an inconsistent string of scores in the start of his T20I career.
Gill was appointed as Suryakumar Yadav's deputy for the T20I series in July, and as Test cricket took priority, Gill was not picked for T20Is, with Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma emerging as India's new top three. Gill missed T20Is against Bangladesh in October, the T20Is in South Africa in November, and the home T20Is against England in January this year, as per ESPNCricinfo.
The T20Is in January were scheduled soon after a dismal Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia and the ICC Champions Trophy in March was priority for the youngster as he was picked for England ODIs, with all-rounder Axar Patel given the T20I vice-captaincy for this whole run of T20Is.
The scheduling is still extremely tough as after the Asia Cup final on September 28, the home Tests against West Indies will kickstart from October 2. Selectors will have to choose their best squad for Asia Cup with an eye on defending T20 World Cup at home and Sri Lanka next year. Since their T20 WC win, India has been absolutely crushing in bilateral series, winning 17 out of 20 such series.
In Gill's absence, Abhishek solidified his spot with a 279-run series (at SR of 220) against England, including a blistering 135 in 54 balls at Wankhede. While Sanju's scores were low, he had smashed three centuries in five innings during the series against Bangladesh at home and in South Africa away.
Since the last T20 WC win, among all top order options, Abhishek has been the top scorer and the most tempting one, given his strokeplay and strike rate. In 42 matches across India/IPL/domestic fixtures, he has scored 1,363 runs in 40 innings at an average of 34.94, with a strike rate of over 198, four centuries and six fifties. His best score is 141.
Across all of T20 since the last T20 WC, Tilak has scored 1,200 runs in 36 matches and 32 innings at an average of 50.00, with a strike rate of 153.84, with three centuries and five fifties. His best score is 151. Two of these centuries came during the South Africa tour last year.
Samson also delivered solid returns and found a new lease of life as an opener for Indian side alongside Abhishek. Since the last T20 WC, in 31 T20s and 30 innings, he has scored 908 runs at an average of 33.62, with a strike rate of 157.09, with three centuries and three fifties.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav has scored 1,107 runs in all of T20S at an average of 36.90, with a strike rate of 161.13 and eight fifties. His best score is 75 after the T20 WC win. However, his international form saw a steep decline.
Since last year's T20 WC, Gill has scored 893 runs in 22 matches at an average of 47.00, with a strike rate of over 147 and eight fifties. His best score is 93*.
So, with the presence of Abhishek, Samson and Tilak and captain Surya being around, the top order is too cramped for Gill to fit in.
Just like Gill, Jaiswal played his last T20I in July 2024, with India utilising his Test abilities during the home season and away assignments in Australia and England, where he scored 391 and 411 runs respectively in a series.
Jaiswal was the back-up opener ahead of Gill for the T20 World Cup last year. He was the back up as India wanted to open with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Having made 723 runs in 23 T20Is with a century and five fifties at a strike rate of over 164, Jaiswal's 559-run season (in 14 matches with six fifties at SR of almost 160), brought back the leftie into T20I conversations.
If the Samson-Abhishek combination at top is not broken, it is hard to fit Gill or Jaiswal in the first-choice playing XI. If they keep the Asia Cup squad up to 15, they will have to do that for the World Cup, it is hard to pick up all four, Abhishek, Samson, Gill and Jaiswal, given the need for back-up players for other roles. Samson has an advantage as he is a wicketkeeper-batter.
It could boil down to a choice between Jaiswal or Gill. for the Asia Cup and selector's decision on who will make a bigger impact.
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