Asia Cup: Team India Asked If Tilak Varma Can Be Dropped To Make Room For Shubman Gill. Reply Was...
Keen to include Shubman Gill in India's Asia Cup squad, the team management was reportedly offered the opportunity to drop Tilak Varma.
- India's Asia Cup 2025 squad is likely to exclude Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Mohammed Siraj
- Suggestion to replace Tilak Varma with Gill was reportedly declined by team management
- Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson are the preferred opening batters for the Asia Cup
Team India's squad selection for the Asia Cup 2025 has made some varied suggestions. Star players like Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Siraj, etc. all seem to be failing the cut to make the roster for the continental event, though a few tweaks have been suggested to make space for some of these players. As per a report, a suggestion was made to the Indian team management to pick Shubman Gill by dropping Tilak Varma from the T20I squad. However, the offer was turned down.
With Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson being seen as the first-choice opening batters in the team for the Asia Cup, the management reportedly doesn't want to tinker with this combination. According to the Indian Express, there was an informal discussion on whether to drop Tilak Varma and accommodate Gill. However, the team management didn't ponder on the offer much, saying it would be unfair on the left-handed batsman, who is the world no. 2-ranked batter in T20Is at present.
Since the management doesn't want Gill to warm the bench either, the clear indication is towards Jaiswal to be picked as the third opening option for the Asia Cup.
"If Gill is included, then he will straight away bat at the top, and if he doesn't get a game then there is no point in having him. At the same time, it will be unfair to Sanju, who did well in the past. If Gill gets in then Sanju might have to miss out, and Jitesh might get a game," the paper quoted a source as saying.
Opinions have been coming in thick and heavy over India's Asia Cup squad selection. R Ashwin feels it's a tricky call for the selectors to make when it comes to picking one player, Gill, and Sanju Samson.
"There are a few talking points regarding the Asia Cup. The first question that comes to everyone's mind is whether Shubman Gill fits into the T20 plans because in the last World Cup, Yashasvi Jaiswal was the backup opener. So Jaiswal automatically gets a kick-in. Rohit Sharma is not going to be a part of that team, so Jaiswal automatically gets a look-in," said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.
"Now, who is going to be that other opener? Shubman Gill had an outstanding series. Can he return to the squad? Sanju Samson has had a fabulous run as a T20 opener for India. So I think it is a tricky state for the selectors," he added.
India Cricket Team