The buzz of the next T20I captain of India to be Shubman Gill has settled down during the Asia Cup. In the new selection committee of BCCI, Suryakumar Yadav is most likely to continue as the captain of the Indian T20I team. The event is set to start in UAE on September 9.
Asia Cup Squad Announcement Details
A report in Times of India said that chief selector Ajit Agarkar would name the final Asia Cup team in a press conference in Mumbai on August 19. This will be after a selection committee meeting that will confirm the team composition.
“Yes, the team for the Asia Cup will be picked on August 19 in Mumbai. The selection committee meeting will be followed by a press conference by chief selector, former India pacer Ajit Agarkar,” a source told the newspaper.
It was also made clear in the report that the present T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav would also be present in the Mumbai meeting. Yadav is currently rehabilitating in the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru following surgery on a sports hernia. Yet now he is back in the net practice and already slowly recovering full fitness.
Shubman Gill’s Captaincy Hopes Dashed
Despite his performances in the England tour, Shubman Gill will not be appointed as the new T20I captain of the Indian cricket team as was the speculation earlier. Gill scored a record 754 runs, including a century, in ten innings in five matches to help the young side draw the series 2-2 in his first series as the Test captain of India.
Although cricket analysts had supported Gill as a future all-format captain, the BCCI seems to want to keep Suryakumar in charge at least until the Asia Cup. Indeed, it has been argued that Gill is not even certain of a spot in the team and the selectors can just as well stick to the opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma.
Squad Composition and Key Exclusions
Yashasvi Jaiswal too has been asked to concentrate on red-ball cricket, and will not be participating in the tournament. The selectors are also going to snub Shreyas Iyer, who is in a better form in the IPL earlier this year.
“In fact, with India intending to persist with the opening combination of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, Gill is currently struggling to even make the squad. Even Yashasvi Jaiswal who had a good series in England and middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer are also likely to be dropped. Jaiswal has been advised by the selectors to concentrate on red-ball cricket,” a source revealed.
Suryakumar Yadav’s Fitness and Leadership Role
The BCCI appears to be troubled with the health and sustainable leadership of Suryakumar Yadav. The selectors seem to be quite sure that his inclusion would create some kind of continuity in the top-order and also make India more competitive in the T20I format. The fact that he is included in the squad chats indicates the confidence that has been vested in him as a captain.
The Asia Cup is yet a few weeks away and the announcement of the squad in Mumbai would be a much awaited event where fans would want to know the team India line up and T20I strategy under Yadav.
