Team India’s test skipper Shubman Gill, who was in his best form in the five-match test series against England, seems uncertain to secure his spot in the T20I squad for the Asia Cup 2025.

The 25-year-old played his last T20I match against Zimbabwe in July 2024, where he captained his team to a 4-1 triumph. Since then, India played T20I series against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa, and England, where Suryakumar Yadav took over the responsibility as a full-time captain. But Gill didn’t even get a chance to be a part of the 20-overs squad.

Despite delivering the best performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, the ODI vice-captain’s inclusion in the Asia Cup squad isn’t straightforward.

Why Shubman Gill Won’t Be Suitable for India’s T20I Plans?

Since Shubman Gill’s absence from the T20I squad in July 2024, Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Tilak Varma secured their spot in the top order. Moreover, Suryakumar Yadav as a regular skipper in the 20-overs and Hardik Pandya being a fast bowling all-rounder have held their positions at fourth and fifth respectively.

To explain in simple words, the top five positions in the batting line-up will be fixed, given the consistent performances from Abhishek, Sanju, Tilak, SKY, and Hardik.

Gill’s inclusion will disrupt the current well-settled batting order of Team India in the following ways:

• Demote Sanju Samson down the order, who currently holds 34th position in the ICC men’s T20I rankings. Whereas Gill ranks at the 41st spot in the list.
• Replace Abhishek Sharma, who is right now the world’s top T20I batter.
• Take over Tilak Varma’s role as a No.3 batter.

Moreover, Shubman never performed in the middle order in T20Is. So, it becomes clear that the shuffle in the top order might be unfair to other talented players in the squad. Therefore, the selectors are following an overcautious approach of making changes before the high-profile tournament.

Gill’s Uncertainty in T20I Squad Despite Test Dominance

Shubman Gill’s stats after playing 37 tests have been remarkable since his debut in 2020. Particularly, after becoming the captain in the longest format, the right-handed batter’s dominance with the bat surged to a peak level. He accumulated 2,647 runs in 69 innings, averaging 41.35 and a strike rate of 61.42, adding upto 9 centuries and 7 fifties to his name.

Also, the young cricketer has been a consistent opener alongside Rohit Sharma, having scored 2,775 runs in 55 matches (average: 59.04, strike rate: 99.56, 100s: 8, and 50s: 15)

Even after being a multi-format player, Gill’s T20I journey with Team India has been inconsistent, filled with several ups and downs. After playing 21 matches, he was able to score just 578 runs at an average of 30.42 and a strike rate of 139.27, which includes his only century and 3 half-centuries.

The Punjab-born cricketer was selected as a travelling reserve for India’s squad in the T20 World Cup. Later, he was roped in as a stand-in captain in the 20-overs format and led an inexperienced squad to a 4-1 series victory in Zimbabwe.

Emergence of Top-Order Stars: A Threat for Shubman Gill

The year 2024 witnessed the rise of Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, and Tilak Varma, who secured their positions as the top-order stars in the T20I format. In the same year, Gill played only 8 matches and scored 266 runs, which includes 2 fifties.

Mainly, the opportunities for Gill became scarce as he couldn’t take over the positions of these three in-form batters due to these reasons:

1. Sanju Samson: The latest sources reveal that Sanju Samson scored 3 centuries in his last 10 T20I matches. So, it would be unwise to move a consistent performer like Samson down the order just to fit in Gill, who hasn’t played T20Is for more than a year.
    
2. Abhishek Sharma: Apart from his No.1 rankings in T20Is, Abhishek Sharma, as a spin bowling all-rounder, can play a crucial role with the bat and ball as well. His proven ability to start the innings on an aggressive note makes it tough for Gill to find his place as an opener.
   
3. Tilak Varma:  Currently ranked as the No.2 batter, Tilak Varma scored 749 runs in 24 T20I innings. Also, the left-handed batter not only learned to bat aggressively, but also played match-winning knocks for India under pressure, which makes him the top contender as a No.3 batter rather than Gill.

Performance Comparison in the Last 3 IPL Seasons: Gill vs Samson vs Abhishek vs Tilak

In contrast to India’s current top-order batters, Shubman Gill has performed well in the last three seasons of IPL (from 2023 to 2025), and here is a brief comparison:

Final Opinion: Gill’s Selection for the Asia Cup 2025 Based on His IPL Form

Although Shubman Gill has been consistent with his performance in IPL, this isn’t the main criterion for selection, particularly for a crucial tournament like the Asia Cup 2025. Moreover, his inclusion in the playing XI would create unfairness to those deserving talents who consistently performed in T20Is for a long time.

Gill’s selection and the announcement of the Asia Cup 2025 squads are expected to be revealed officially next week. However, everything depends on the fitness reports that the medical team at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru will send to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Overall, it becomes clear that if Gill is sidelined even after his peak form, it will become one of the highly debated matters before the Asia Cup.