‘If He Does Not Perform In…’ R Ashwin Opens Up About Shubman Gill’s Poor Batting Form, Says Can’t Bring Sanju Samson

India vice-captain Shubman Gill has struggled with the batting form ever since he has returned back to the team after suffering a neck injury during the first Test against South Africa. The Test and ODI skipper was ruled out of the fixture and subsequently missed the second Test and the ODI series. 

Former India spinner R Ashwin has expressed his concerns about Gill’s batting.

“I am a little concerned,” Ashwin said on his YouTube show Ash Ki Baat. “Shubman is not only the opener but also the vice-captain. How will you remove the vice-captain? It is going to be an incredibly tough decision. If you have to take that decision, inside this series you can’t bring Samson because it does not look nice to drop the vice-captain. You can ask whether vice-captains have been dropped in the past or not. But he has been taken and should be given a fair run. If he does not perform in the five games, then a decision will have to be made,” he added.

Ashwin further added that the team management should have the idea of the Playing XI but hailed the bowling department. 

“You should know your best XI and best squad (for T20 WC) by now. I don’t think there are any doubts in the bowling. That department is sealed. Another good message is that Harshit Rana is showing what he is capable of. He is executing what he is good at. The only question is, if Shubman doesn’t make the runs, should he be there or should Samson be playing. The only unfortunate thing from here on I do not want to see is Gill making runs at a lesser strike rate. That should not happen,” he added.

India have take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series after defeating South Africa by 7 wickets in the third encounter in Dharamsala.

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