Mumbai, Aug 19 (PTI) Shubman Gill’s return to India’s T20 squad, that too as vice-captain, has sent a clear message to current leader Suryakumar Yadav.
The much younger Gill, who exceeded expectations in
his debut series as Test captain, will eventually take over from Suryakumar but that transition could take place sooner if the latter has another middling season like he did last season.
Suryakumar found his remarkable consistency in the IPL but 2024 was his worst in international cricket as he averaged 26.81, much lower to the high 40s he maintained the previous two seasons.
As captain, the results have have certainly gone his way but he needs to step up as a batter starting with the Asia Cup beginning on September 9.
Sitting next to Suryakumar, chief selector Ajit Agarkar was expectedly asked about Gill being seen as an all-format captain in the foreseeable future.
“Ye sawal aap ke liye hai (this question is for you),” Suryakumar said on a lighter note before Agarkar gave a strong indication of where the future lies.
“I can discuss T20 cricket with you right now, and (in) Test cricket he (Gill) is already leading,” Agarkar said during the press conference to announce India’s squad for Asia Cup here.
“Like Surya mentioned (before), he was vice-captain the last time he played T20 cricket for India. We obviously see some leadership qualities in him, and his form in England was what we were hoping for,” added the former India pacer.
If India qualify for the Asia Cup final, they’d be playing six games in the subcontinental event. India will also play five T20Is against Australia in an away tour, followed by as many games each at home against South Africa and New Zealand.
The task is cut out for the world No 6 batter Suryakumar who will not only lead the T20 World Cup defending champions in this long stretch, knowing he cannot afford India to misfire, but would also have to ensure his individual form remains top notch with Gill now breathing down his neck.
In India’s last T20 assignment, Suryakumar had a forgettable outing against England when he scored 0, 12, 14, 0 and 2 across five matches.
But to his credit, Suryakumar was able to banish the woes with 12 consecutive scores in excess of 25 in the IPL.
No room for Iyer but Sundar in “scheme of things” =============================== Despite his exploits in domestic cricket and leading Punjab Kings to the Indian Premier League final this year, there was no room for Shreyas Iyer in India’s 15-man squad for Asia Cup.
“With regards to Shreyas, you’ll have to tell who he can replace. (It is) again, no fault of his nor is it ours. It’s just that at the moment you can just pick 15 (players). He’s got to wait for his chance,” Agarkar said.
If Iyer wasn’t rewarded for his remarkable run in the last season across formats, Washington Sundar made it as far as being named among the reserves for the Asia Cup.
Sundar had a huge impact on India’s drawn Test series in England when he dropped anchor at Manchester to force the fourth Test into a fighting draw for India, and played a T20 knock at The Oval in the series finale to garner late quick runs when he was running out of partners.
“He’s always been in the scheme of things — this is not the final spot for the (T20) World Cup,” Agarkar said.
“At the moment, we have three spinners in the squad. We have three spinners so whether we need four spinners, he might always come into the equation, if and when that happens,” he added. PTI DDV BS BS
