Legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar refused to discuss Yashasvi Jaiswal’s omission from India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad. The former India captain said that once the selection committee announces the squad, there is no point in debating a player’s exclusion. According to him, such discussions only fuel unnecessary controversy that players do not want.
Despite being part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad, Jaiswal was not picked for the Asia Cup. On the other hand, Shubman Gill, who was only a reserve in the ICC event, returned to the team and was named vice-captain for the continental tournament starting September 9 in the UAE. Both Jaiswal and Gill last featured in T20Is in July last year before being preserved for longer formats.
Gavaskar on Jaiswal’s numbers
Jaiswal has a strike rate of 164 in 23 T20Is with 723 runs. Gill has 578 runs in 21 matches with a strike rate of 139. When Gavaskar was informed about Jaiswal’s superior T20I record, he stressed that squad selection always involves tough calls.
“You can only pick XI in the match and you can only pick 15 in the squad. Somebody has to miss out, that’s just one of those in Indian cricket. No point in discussing whether A or B or C should’ve been there. This is now our team. We can all have our opinions before the selection committee picks the team but once the team is picked, we should back it fully. We shouldn’t be saying A should’ve been there or B should’ve been there. That only creates controversy, which the players don’t need,” Gavaskar told India Today.
Gavaskar backs Gill for leadership role
The batting legend was not surprised to see Gill return as vice-captain. “Not surprising at all. He (Shubman Gill) scored over 750 runs just a couple of weeks ago. You cannot exclude a player in that kind of form. Also, he has done really well in the IPL, which concluded just before the tour to England. It’s a very good inclusion. Giving him the vice-captaincy is also a way of telling him that in the future, he could be leading the T20 side. I think it’s a very, very good selection,” Gavaskar said.
Gill’s performance in England
Gill amassed 754 runs in the five-match Test series against England, where India drew 2-2. Gavaskar praised his ability to handle pressure. “He was very impressive in England. To score 750-plus runs while leading the side for the first time shows how well he handled pressure. This vice-captaincy is a clear sign that he is going to be the captain of the Indian team as well, It’s always good to have him take the responsibility just a little bit earlier,” he added.
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