Shubman Gill’s return to India’s T20 setup has raised eyebrows, not because he’s back, but because he’s back as vice-captain for the Asia Cup.
This isn’t just a comeback, it’s a fast-track promotion. The last time India played a T20 series, it was Axar Patel who was deputy to Suryakumar Yadav. And here’s the kicker: Gill hasn’t played a T20I in over a year. Yes, his IPL form was outstanding, but how does a player who wasn’t even part of the last three series suddenly leapfrog into a leadership role?
Surya's take on Gill's selection
Surya explained that Gill’s absence had nothing to do with form. “In my opinion, the last time he played T20 for India was right after the T20 World Cup, when we went to Sri Lanka, not Zimbabwe. That’s where we began the new cycle for the T20 World Cup.
I was leading, and he was vice-captain. After that, he got busy with the Test series and never really got the chance to play T20s, because he was occupied with red-ball cricket and more of the Champions Trophy prep, I guess, before the England T20s. So he is there in the squad and we are happy to have him,' Surya said at the squad announcement press conference.
Fair enough. But that still doesn’t explain why others who have been grinding away in Gill’s absence now risk being sidelined overnight. Because let’s be honest: if you make someone vice-captain, he’s not going to warm the bench. Gill will play. Which means someone else, who has earned his spot, won’t. So who pays the price?
If Gill opens, will Sanju Samson make space for him? A man with 3 hundreds in his last 10 T20I innings? Or if Gill bats at number 3, does that mean dropping Tilak Varma, who averages an eye-popping 120 across his last 7 T20I knocks?
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.
Team India Asia Cup squad:
Surya Kumar Yadav ©, 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
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