Ashwin expounds on Shubman Gill vs Yashasvi Jaiswal Asia Cup debate: 'Rohit Sharma not in team, so he automatically...'

Veteran all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin discussed a few talking points regarding India's squad for the upcoming Asia Cup. The selectors have not announced the squad yet, as they must be in a dilemma over some big choices. It is going to be a tough task for the defending champions to get their combination right, as it is going to be the first tournament after the transition period started after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's retirements. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar had to make a call with coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Suryakumar Yadav on whether to bring back Test captain Shubman Gill back in the T20I side. Meanwhile, Yashasvi Jaiswal is another player who will be in contention for a place in the Asia Cup squad. India Shubman Gill, left, and Yashasvi Jaiswal might fight for a place for opener in the Asia Cup squad.(PTI)

Ashwin weighed in on the Gill vs Jaiswal debate for the Asia Cup, pointing out that the left-hander was chosen ahead of the current Test captain as a backup in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which has now strengthened his case for selection.

“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 while speaking 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?" Ashwin added.

‘Sanju Samson has had a fabulous run too…’

The former Indian cricketer asserted that Shubman recently had an incredible Test series to make a claim to get picked. He also pointed out that Sanju Samson has performed exceedingly well as an opener in the shortest format for India so far.

“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 said.

Meanwhile, he also emphasised that Shreyas Iyer has built a strong case for a return, adding another layer of complexity to the selection decisions.

Can Shreyas Iyer make a comeback? There is a lot of decision-making that the selectors have to make," Ashwin said.

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