Shubman Gill’s exceptional performance against England, where he scored 754 runs in five Tests, including four centuries and the ‘Player of the Series’ award, has not guaranteed his place in India’s T20I squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. Despite his impressive form, recent reports suggest that his selection is far from certain. Gill, who last played a T20I in July 2024, has been absent from recent T20 series against England, Bangladesh, and South Africa. Even with a strong IPL 2025 campaign, where he scored 650 runs at a strike rate of 156 and finished as the tournament’s fourth-highest scorer, his inclusion in the Asia Cup squad is under serious consideration. The potential difficulty in integrating Gill into the current well-established T20I batting order is the primary concern. Selectors face the challenge of either displacing established players like Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, or Tilak Varma to accommodate Gill, a move that could disrupt the team’s dynamics. His remarkable dominance in Test cricket and impressive ODI and T20 franchise records highlight his multi-format talent, although his T20I career with India has been inconsistent. With the Asia Cup approaching and the emergence of new top-order stars, the selection committee faces a crucial decision regarding Gill’s inclusion, which may spark significant debate.
