Shubman Gill with Abhishek Sharma (Source: AFP)
Shubman Gill is one of the most talented young cricketers in India and is slowly but steadily taking the superstar stature. He is the captain of the Test side and is touted to lead India across formats. The batter has also done well in ODIs and recently in Tests, but there were still doubts over his inclusion in the Indian T20I side for Asia Cup 2025.
Gill fails to deliver after wild-card entry in Asia Cup
He made his way back to the Indian T20I side after a year and was straightaway made the vice-captain of the side. It raised quite a few eyebrows, but the chief selector stated that he is the future leader and thus others were asked to make way. Thus, Sanju Samson, who was doing exceptionally well as an opener, has been forced to bat down the order while Yashasvi Jaiswal has been ignored despite having a better T20I record than Shubman Gill.
Nevertheless, Gill was expected to score runs in the Asia Cup. However, the batter till the Super Four stage of the tournament has managed just 115 runs in six innings, and his only knock of note came against Pakistan, where he scored 47 off 28 balls. So, is it enough in a highly competitive environment of the Indian T20I side? For any other player, it would not have been maybe, but Shubman Gill seems to be in a special zone as far as selection is concerned, and there are still hardly any question marks on his future as opener and even vice-captain of the Indian T20I side.
So, with Shubman Gill likely to continue despite his indifferent T20I performances, here are some of the hidden costs that India are paying for trusting him as opener in the shortest format.
Sacrifice Of gun T20 openers - Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal
As Shubman Gill has been named as the vice-captain of the T20I side, he is expected to open regularly alongside Abhishek Sharma. Thus, it leaves Sanju Samson in a tricky position. The wicketkeeper batter has been wasted in the lower middle order and has not even got a chance to bat in some matches of this Asia Cup.
In 2024, Sanju Samson got regular chances to open, and he scored at an average of 43.60 and a strike-rate of 180.16. It included three centuries and it looked like he has finally found his preferred position. However, with a forced move down the order, his career again seems to be in jeopardy, and India are silently missing out on a seasoned, serious talent.
Comparison of batters as openers in T20Is
| Criterion | Shubman Gill | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Sanju Samson |
| Innings | 26 | 22 | 17 |
| Runs | 689 | 723 | 522 |
| Average | 29.96 | 36.15 | 32.63 |
| Strike-Rate | 141.77 | 164.32 | 178.77 |
| 100s/50s | 1/3 | 1/5 | 3/1 |
Yashasvi Jaiswal is another talent who would be wondering what he has done wrong to not find a place in a T20I team. He has a strike-rate which is 23 percentage points more than Gill's in T20Is, while the average is also better. However, by making Gill a vice-captain, Jaiswal has been made to sit out despite doing brilliantly in whatever opportunity he has had.
Hurts India's T20I philosophy, can backfire in flat Indian conditions
India have time and again emphasised that they want to play an ultra-aggressive brand of cricket in T20Is. For that, they are looking for players who can go from the ball one. Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal have done exactly that as openers in T20Is, but India has now opted to go with Shubman Gill, who generally takes time to get going.
It has been mentioned that Gill complements Abhishek Sharma's aggressive approach with his calmness. However, teams across the world and even India have tried to approach T20I with aggressive openers from both sides in the recent past. Now, moving away from that approach might hurt men in blue on flat decks in India during the T20 World Cup 2026, where 200-plus totals could become a norm.
Different rules for different Players - Might affect the morale of players
Shubman Gill has been elevated as vice-captain despite not playing T20Is for India for a year. Now, in the Asia Cup 2025 as well, he has failed to deliver, while the players who can fit into his spot as an opener have done exceptionally well. Despite this, as India are winning, there are hardly any question marks on Gill's position, and this could affect how players see the overall process of the Indian team selection.
At the highest level and in a country with truckloads of talent like India, performances should be rewarded equally, and if that doesn't happen, it might affect the morale of players.
.jpg?type=mq "Abhishek goes past Kohli, Rizwan")
