After the England tour, India’s next assignment will be the Asia Cup, starting on September 9 in the UAE. The Indian team will begin its campaign on September 10 against the UAE, followed by a clash with Pakistan on September 14. However, before the tournament begins, the selectors face a major challenge. Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal have not been part of the T20 squad in recent times, and if they make themselves available for the Asia Cup, the selectors will have to decide who should open the innings.
Gill and Jaiswal missed the previous T20 series
Gill and Jaiswal were not part of the five-match T20I series against England in February this year. Both last played a T20I in July 2024 against Sri Lanka at Pallekele. Since then, the opening responsibility has been given to Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. After July 2024, India played T20I series against Bangladesh, South Africa, and England, with Abhishek and Samson continuing as openers. If Gill and Jaiswal return, the biggest question will be who gets the opening spot.
Challenge for Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee
Samson has revealed that before the Bangladesh T20I series, captain Suryakumar Yadav had asked him to take up the opening role for seven matches — three against Bangladesh and four against South Africa. In those seven matches, Samson scored three centuries and proved himself. Abhishek, meanwhile, is currently the No. 1 ranked T20I batter in the world and has produced several explosive innings in international T20s. Gill is India’s Test captain, while Jaiswal is a naturally aggressive opener. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel will have the tough job of picking the right squad.
Samson and Abhishek in outstanding form
Samson and Abhishek have delivered impressive performances recently, and the stats back them up. Since October last year, when they were first paired as openers, India has won 10 out of 12 T20Is. Samson also offers the additional option of wicketkeeping, while Abhishek can bowl spin. Samson has scored 861 runs in 42 T20Is at a strike rate of 152.39, including three centuries and two fifties. Abhishek has 535 runs in 17 T20Is at a strike rate of 193.85, with two centuries and two fifties.
T20 World Cup next year
With the T20 World Cup scheduled for next year, breaking this successful opening combination could be risky. Also, fitting Gill and Jaiswal into the middle order will be difficult, as the No. 3 slot is reserved for captain Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma has excelled at No. 4, scoring consecutive centuries against South Africa. Power hitters like Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh are also in contention for the lower middle order. This raises doubts over whether Gill and Jaiswal will be selected for the Asia Cup at all.
If Gill is picked, will he open?
If Gill and Jaiswal are both selected, there is a possibility that Gill might open alongside Abhishek, with Samson moving to No. 3 or 4. Gill and Abhishek also play domestic cricket for the same state, which could help their partnership. In such a case, Jaiswal might have to sit out. Gill has scored 578 runs in 21 T20Is at an average of 30.42 and a strike rate of 139.28, including three fifties and one century. Jaiswal has 723 runs in 23 T20Is at an average of 36.15 and a strike rate of 164.32, with five fifties and one century.