Asia Cup: Gill, Jaiswal or Samson? Ashwin highlights India’s selection dilemma

NEW DELHI: With the Indian selectors set to announce the squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 on Tuesday, August 19, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has shared his insights on some of the most pressing selection dilemmas.

The continental T20I event will be staged in the UAE from September 9–28, with India placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, UAE, and Oman.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!This edition of the Asia Cup, aligned with next year’s T20 World Cup cycle, is being closely watched as a testing ground for India’s T20I core. Among the burning questions is whether Shubman Gill, fresh off an outstanding Test series, will find a place in the squad or if Yashasvi Jaiswal will continue to be backed as India’s next-generation opener.

“There are a few talking points regarding the Asia Cup. The first question that comes to everyone’s mind is whether Shubman Gill fits into the T20 plans because in the last World Cup, Yashasvi Jaiswal was the backup opener,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.“So Jaiswal automatically gets a kick-in. Rohit Sharma is not going to be a part of that team, so Jaiswal automatically gets a look-in. Now, who is going to be that other opener?” he added.

Ashwin stressed that Gill’s recent form cannot be overlooked but highlighted that Sanju Samson’s rise as an opener in the T20 format adds another twist to the debate. “Shubman Gill had an outstanding series. Can he return to the squad? Sanju Samson has had a fabulous run as a T20 opener for India. So I think it is a tricky state for the selectors," he explained.Beyond the opening slot, Ashwin also pointed to Shreyas Iyer’s resurgence as a factor that could complicate matters further. “Can Shreyas Iyer make a comeback? There is a lot of decision-making that the selectors have to make,” he remarked.