Elegant, but not explosive: What’s Shubman Gill doing in India’s T20 squad for Asia Cup?

Does Shubman Gill deserve a spot in India’s T20 squad? Not at all. Yet, Indian selectors appear to think otherwise. It even suggests that the Test captain could be groomed to lead the T20 side in the future. That’s the only plausible explanation for naming him vice-captain for the upcoming Asia Cup.

But here’s the issue: a vice-captain is usually a guaranteed starter in the XI. That forces a difficult decision — one of the specialist batters will have to sit out. And that’s not ideal, especially considering Gill’s classical batting style clashes with the current ethos of India’s T20 game. The team has undergone a significant tactical shift.

India no longer approach the powerplay cautiously. Instead, the new strategy is to attack from the outset. Rohit Sharma led that transformation, backed by then-head coach Rahul Dravid, after widespread criticism of India’s outdated white-ball approach. Rohit embraced a power-packed opening style, reaping dividends — a T20 World Cup title and a runner-up finish in the ODI World Cup.

Since then, under Gautam Gambhir’s coaching and Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership, India’s aggression went up several notches. The results have followed. So why disrupt a formula that’s clearly working?

By that logic, Gill doesn’t warrant a place in the T20 side. Yes, he had a stellar IPL 2024 — 650 runs at a strike rate of 155.88 for Gujarat Titans. But in 21 T20 Internationals, his strike rate drops to 139.27 for 578 runs — decent, but hardly compelling.

Compare that with India’s current top four: Abhishek Sharma: 193.84,  Sanju Samson: 152.38, Tilak Varma: 155.07 and Suryakumar Yadav: 167.07. Gill’s numbers pale in comparison. So, who does he replace? None of them, on merit.

If India were looking to add more firepower, Yashasvi Jaiswal would have been a better option. His three-year IPL record is outstanding, and his attacking brand of cricket in Tests is reminiscent of Virender Sehwag — fearless and destructive.

Even if the selectors were keen on grooming a future captain, Shreyas Iyer makes more sense. He led Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL 2024 title and took Punjab Kings to the 2025 final. Equally adept at classical and aggressive play, Iyer is a versatile batter across formats. His omission from the Asia Cup squad raises eyebrows.

As vice-captain, Gill will likely play — but at whose expense? Dropping Abhishek or Samson would be grossly unfair. Together, they've plundered five centuries and three fifties, blazing away in the powerplays. Breaking up a successful opening partnership would be reckless.

So, what role does Gill serve in this T20 squad? In this format, there’s nowhere to hide. His selection feels less like a strategic move and more like a misstep.