While announcing India’s squad for the Asia Cup, chief selector Ajit Agarkar mentioned Shubman Gill’s name first and specifically highlighted the word “vice-captain” before revealing the rest of the 14 members.
During the press conference, the first question addressed to captain Suryakumar Yadav was also related to Gill. From cricket fans to experts and former players, everyone was curious about whether Gill would be part of the squad or not. In fact, he was at the centre of discussion during the selection committee meeting as well. However, it has now been revealed that Shubman Gill was not Ajit Agarkar’s first choice for vice-captaincy. So, what made the chief selector change his mind?
According to a report by The Indian Express, the biggest debate during the selection committee meeting was about Gill’s role in the T20 setup after his return. There was an intense discussion on whether to hand him the vice-captaincy. Agarkar and other members of the committee were initially considering alternatives, including Axar Patel, for the role. At first, Gill was not their top pick. But eventually, thinking about the long-term future, the selectors decided to appoint India’s current Test captain as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy in T20Is.
The Tuesday meeting largely revolved around the vice-captaincy decision. Several names, including Axar Patel, were discussed. While Gill was not the first choice, the selection committee was clear on one thing — the vice-captain had to be someone who could serve Indian cricket for a long time. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, who joined the meeting via video conferencing, also supported the idea of giving this responsibility to a young player who could be groomed into a future captain.
Since Gill is already leading the Indian Test team, the selectors felt that this was the right time to groom him for bigger leadership responsibilities. The idea is to prepare him to eventually take over the T20 captaincy from Suryakumar Yadav in the future. However, this decision came at the cost of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who missed out on selection in the squad.
Now, the team management faces another crucial decision — whether to open the innings with Gill or continue with the in-form opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, while using the vice-captain at a different batting position.