Asia Cup T20 Selection Preview: Selectors Ponder Over The Shubman Gill Question

Accomodating India's prolific batter and Test skipper Shubman Gill in the Indian T20I set up for next month's Asia Cup in the UAE will be the biggest conundrum that the selectors will face when they gather on Tuesday to announce the 15-member squad.

India already have a set and well-oiled T20I team and the selectors would be wary of tampering with that unless they deem it to be absolutely necessary and the Gill question is part of that challenge.

With Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson opening the batting, India have an explosive combo that can give them the flying start in the powerplay overs.

Abhishek was in red-hot form in the five-match England T20I series, which was the only T20I series they have played this year.

The flamboyant left-handed batter had smashed 279 runs at a strike rate of 219.68 with his most famous innings coming at the Wankhede Stadium where he slammed a 54-ball 135.

The left-arm spin that he bowls is an add on in the scheme of things as well.

Talking about Gill he will come into the side most likely as an opener and that would mean Samson missing out, something which the selectors will think long and hard before doing.

Three middle order slots are locked with skipper Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel. Shreyas Iyer could make it into the squad at No 3 but Tilak Varma, who currently occupies the slot hasn't put a foot wrong.

Varma was in cracking form in South Africa where he struck two centuries and 280 runs at a strike rate of 198.48.

Iyer, on the other hand, had a roaring IPL 2025 with a strike rate of 175.07.

Jitesh Sharma can also be a part of the mix if Samson doesn't make it to the squad and if India look at the option of a keeper finisher.

In the spin department, Varun Chakravarthy has a leg up over Kuldeep Yadav since he played the five T20Is against England where he scalped 14 wickets in those games at an economy of 7.66 but both are likely to make it to the squad although they may not feature together in the XI.

The duo playing together in the XI would require the team management to look at batting depth.

The pace department will see the iconic Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh opening the bowling with one of Prasidh Krishna, who was the Purple Cap holder in IPL 2025, or Harshit Rana being the third pacer.

Shivam Dube may also be in contention for the second seam bowling all-rounder slot after Pandya.

Under Suryakumar's leadership, India have won 17 of their last 20 games and the selectors would hope the team would be able to carry on that vein of form going into the Asia Cup where they will also take on arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14.

The Asia Cup will be held from September 9 to 28 with matches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.