Former BCCI chief selector Kris Srikkanth has launched a scathing attack on the Indian team management for appointing Shubman Gill as the vice-captain of the T20I side, citing that it has thrown the entire balance of the squad for a toss.
Gill made a return to the T20I fold as deputy during India’s triumphant Asia Cup 2025 campaign in September. Opening the innings, he scored only 127 runs in seven innings at an average of 21.16 in the continental showpiece in UAE.
In the ongoing five-T20I series against Australia, Gill has returned with scores of 37* and 5 in the two games so far.
His comeback also meant Sanju Samson moving down in the batting order despite the wicketkeeper-batter hitting three T20I centuries in the 2024 calendar year.
“They won’t drop Gill for the next three games. They are not worried about anything else. He is the vice-captain for the T20 World Cup, that’s fixed now. It’s also fixed that he’s the future T20I captain. So they have to play with him and build the balance for the rest of the side. He’s a certainty or else on what basis has he been appointed the vice-captain?” said Srikkanth on his YouTube channel.
Srikkanth also argued that Shubman Gill’s fixed spot is keeping the talented Yashasvi Jaiswal out of the T20I set-up and the likes of Samson and Tilak Varma are unsure of their batting spots.
Despite scoring 723 runs in 23 T20Is at an average of 36.15 and a strike rate of 164.31, Jaiswal was overlooked for the Asia Cup and the Australia series. On the other hand, Gill has 747 runs to his name after playing 30 T20Is, averaging 28.73 and scoring his runs at a rate of 141.20.
“Yashasvi Jaiswal is waiting in the wings. He’s not there in the team. With Gill’s inclusion, the overall balance has gone for a toss so they aren’t sure of what to do. Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma don’t have a fixed position and Arshdeep Singh is missing out on the 11. The only good thing is the T20 World Cup is in India so they’ll escape,” Srikkanth stated.
“India has a lot of players like Abhishek. If players like Yashasvi Jaiswal are given an opportunity, they’ll utilise it. But now he has no window to come into the side. Only Hardik Pandya can come into the 11 and nobody else. Jaiswal also came through the IPL and has an outstanding record in all formats and the IPL. I am not sure why he isn’t playing with a brilliant IPL and T20I record. Give him the same opportunities, he’ll destroy bowlers at the top,” he further remarked.
