BCCI’s blind bet on Shubman Gill backfires; Jaiswal-Samson paying the price

Give me freedom. Give me fire. Give me Ahmedabad or else I'll retire. Now listen, we didn’t write this, the fans did. And they are now singing this version of the song for Shubman Gill.

He somehow survived Shaheen Shah Afridi, only to get bowled by Shah Faisal, a left-arm pacer from Oman, thanks to an in-swinger that totally beat him — dismissed for just 5 runs! So, on one hand, there’s fear of world-class bowlers, on the other, there are shocking dismissals against associate nations!

Let’s not forget — Gill walked back into the T20I squad after a whole year, purely based on some sparkly IPL performances. But this isn’t a fairy-tale, This is the Asia Cup.

Yes, he did score an unbeaten 20 against UAE and sure, good for him. But let’s be honest, that game had as much pressure as a Sunday morning breakfast. And against Pakistan? Saim Ayub, a part-time spinner, managed to get him stumped! I mean, it doesn’t matter if the spinner’s name is Saim or Shane — Gill clearly can’t figure out where the ball is going when it starts to turn even a little.

Sanju Samson, who has literally smashed 3 T20I centuries as an opener, has been pushed down the order. Why? Just to make space for Gill at the top. And we all know that he didn't look in the best of touches to start with against Oman. Aur iske pehle 2 matches mein to unki batting bhi nahi aa payi thi.

And what about Yashasvi Jaiswal? That guy was tearing it up as an opener, and now he’s warming the bench and eating popcorn.

Now look - it’s not like Gill can’t score in the Super Four stage. He absolutely can. The guy has talent, no one’s denying that. But until then, sidelining players who’ve proven themselves in T20Is just to keep a trending name in the spotlight? That feels a little unfair. Moreover, why others who have been grinding away in Gill’s absence now risk being sidelined overnight.

Yes, Gill was in sublime form during the IPL, but his recent record for India hasn’t been anything special. Since March 2023, he has scored just 411 runs in 18 T20Is at a strike rate of only 129.6, which is quite low for a modern-day opener. During this period, he has managed to score just 3 half-centuries during this period — one against West Indies and two against Zimbabwe.

This is where the selection call becomes murky. It’s not just about Gill’s talent — nobody doubts that — but about what this sudden elevation signals. What message does it send to players who have carried the team in his absence? Those bilateral series are just auditions, only for the “big names” to reclaim their spots when the lights are brighter?

India’s selection committee may have made a bold move, but it risks alienating players who have actually walked the hard road. In cricketing terms, it’s not just about rewarding form — it’s about respecting it. And right now, that respect seems in short supply.

Cricket needs form, flair and let’s be real — a bit of logic too. Not just fan edits and Insta reels deciding who gets into the playing XI.

Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh