IND vs SA: Shubman Gill fell for 28 off 28 in an 118 chase in Dharamsala. (AP Photo)
Former India all-rounder R Ashwin expressed concerns over Shubman Gill’s indifferent form and the questions placed over his vice-captaincy tag after the Punjab batter’s lean patch extended to another innings in the ongoing South Africa T20Is.
Although Gill chipped in with a fluent start in a 118-run chase in Dharamsala, the 26-year-old progressively lost his rhythm and fell for 28 off as many deliveries. Ashwin said that India would not find it easy to drop the Punjab batter mid-way through the series after being naming him as deputy to captain Suryakumar Yadav who has also been woefully out of runs. The former World Cup winner added that a decision on Gill’s position in the team must only be reviewed after the remaining games in Lucknow and Ahmedabad this series.
“I am a little concerned. Shubman is not only the opener but also the vice-captain. How will you remove the vice-captain? It is going to be an incredibly tough decision. If you have to take that decision, inside this series you can’t bring [Sanju] Samson because it does not look nice to drop the vice-captain. You can ask whether vice-captains have been dropped in the past or not. But he has been taken and should be given a fair run. If he does not perform in the five games, then a decision will have to be made,” Ashwin said on ‘Ash ki Baat’.
Ashwin insisted that India must be in sync with their first XI for the T20 World Cup by now. India will play five more games in January against New Zealand by which time the provisional squad for the World Cup would be announced.
“You should be knowing your best XI and best squad (for T20 WC) by now. I don’t think there are any doubts in the bowling. That department is sealed. Another good message is that Harshit Rana is showing what he is capable of. He is executing what he is good at.”
Ashwin, however, exhorted that Gill should find himself in a position where he is batting for runs at the expense of a higher strike rate to retain his position.
“The only question is, if Shubman doesn’t make the runs, should he be there or should Samson be playing. The only unfortunate thing from here on I do not want to see is Gill making runs at a lesser strike rate. That should not happen,” said Ashwin.
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