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Shubman Gill Has Scored Runs Every Season, Cannot Underestimate Him: Former India Spinner
Follow UsGill, who has three fifties and a century in T20Is, last played in the format in July 2024 against Sri Lanka
Will he? Won't he? That has been on every Indian cricket fan's lips as far as Shubman Gill's selection for the Asia Cup 2025 is concerned. The India Test captain has been consistent in the Indian Premier League (IPL) across many seasons, and former India spinner Harbhajan Singh believes that it warrants him a place in the eight-team event, starting September 9 in the UAE.
The off-spinner believes Gill has the ability to play the long innings in T20s, and that too at a good strike rate, which are skills India should look for in a top-order batter.
“In the T20 format, it’s important to understand that it’s not just about big hitting. If Shubman decides to attack, he can match anyone, because he is a very solid player with strong basics. A batter with such a strong foundation can score runs in any format," Harbhajan told TimesofIndia.com.
"If you look at the IPL, Shubman has scored runs every season. He has worn the Orange Cap — and that doesn’t happen by chance. And it’s not like he bats only at a strike rate of 120 or 130; he can also bat at a strike rate of 160.
"Yes, we do have players like Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma, but you cannot undermine or underestimate Shubman Gill. He is a very talented batter who can adapt to any format. He is an all-format player. In my opinion, he can play T20s and even dominate the format. We as fans are used to seeing fours and sixes every ball, but you also need batters who can play long innings and rescue the team when required."
Gill, who has three fifties and a century in T20Is, last played in the format in July 2024 against Sri Lanka.
Speaking of the 15-member squad for India at the Asia Cup, Harbhajan said, "I think the squad should be: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav – the captain, Hardik Pandya, Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag for the middle order, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant.”
The BCCI is expected to announce the squad for the Asia Cup on August 19 (Tuesday). India will begin their campaign against the UAE in Dubai on September 10 in Dubai before their high-octane clash against Pakistan four days later at the same venue.