‘Where does Shubman Gill come in suddenly?’: Kris Srikkanth against India Test captain's selection in Asia Cup squad

Former India skipper Krishnamachari Srikkanth has criticised the sudden calls for Shubman Gill’s inclusion in the Asia Cup squad. The 25-year-old last played a T20I for India in July 2024 against Sri Lanka, after which the selectors primarily steered him towards ODIs and Tests. He recently took over the captaincy charge of the Test team, and speculations are rife that the team management is looking to elevate him to the ODI leadership role, too. Meanwhile, after an incredible Test series in England where he flourished in the leadership role, Shubman is brought back into the debate for the opener's slot in the Asia Cup squad, which will be announced on Tuesday.

Shubman Gill last played a T20I for India in July 2024 against Sri Lanka.(AFP)

However, former BCCI chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth dismissed the notion of recalling Gill to the squad out of the blue, pointing out that he wasn’t even part of the T20 World Cup-winning team in 2024.

"If Shubman Gill was the captain [in T20Is], he would have automatically come into the playing XI. Then, there would be no Sai Sudharsan, Yashasvi Jaiswal or Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Gill would have opened straightaway. But, Gill wasn't part of the T20 World Cup. Where does he come in suddenly?," Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

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“Shubman was not even in the T20I team vs England”

Meanwhile, since his move to the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022 2022, Gill has elevated his T20 game further, where he became the backbone of their batting line-up. He played a crucial role in Gujarat’s title-winning campaign and followed it up with a sensational 2023 season, finishing as the Orange Cap winner, amassing 890 runs in 17 innings. Shubman has featured in 21 T20Is, amassing 578 runs at a strike rate of 139.27. He also stands among the select group of Indian batters to have registered centuries across all three international formats.

However, Srikkanth calls for continuity in the side and pointed out that Shubman didn't feature in the T20I series against England earlier this year.

"He was not even in the T20I team against England. Yes, he has been doing very well recently, but we can't make selection calls like that," the 65-year-old went on to add.