Shubman Gill or Yashasvi Jaiswal for spot in Asia Cup squad? Ex-India player makes his argument | Cricket News
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra feels Yashasvi Jaiswal has a stronger case than Shubman Gill for a spot in India’s squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, highlighting that the left-hander’s game is better aligned with the demands of T20 cricket. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel is expected to meet on August 19 to finalise the squad for the tournament, scheduled from September 9 to 28 in the UAE. With Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson having established themselves as the preferred opening combination, the selectors face a tough call on whether to add another opener, and if so, who that should be.
Chopra argued that Jaiswal’s style suits India’s T20 template. “As per T20 figures, Yashasvi is little ahead of Shubman. The way he plays T20 and the DNA of the team, he also marries that style,” he said on his YouTube channel on Saturday. He also pointed out the challenge of accommodating Gill without disrupting the balance of the playing XI. “Sometimes it also happens that if you pick Shubman as the third opener, who is your Test captain, the ODI vice-captain, now you have him on the bench in T20Is, that will not look very nice. So the selectors will be thinking that if we are going to select Shubman, then we will have to give him a place in the eleven. Though picking Shubman is tempting, but I feel Yashasvi should be slightly ahead in this race.” With India’s top order looking settled, Chopra questioned how either Gill or Jaiswal could fit in without shaking the line-up. “But if that third opener is Shubman, do you want him to sit on the bench? If you don’t make him sit and play in the eleven, who will he come in for? If that player’s name is Sanju Samson, who will keep wickets?”
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He further explained why Samson’s role complicated matters. “That is the problem because we don’t see Sanju Samson playing in the middle order. You would want him at the top. Tilak and Surya will play at number three and four. So, Sanju at fifth? That won’t be a good story,” Chopra added.
