With Sanju Samson thriving as opener, India’s Asia Cup selection debate deepens — should Gill really take his spot?
The debate over Sanju Samson Asia Cup 2025 selection is heating up — and this time, it’s not about whether he’s in the squad, but where he bats.
As the selectors prepare to finalize India’s squad for the Asia Cup in a few days, there’s increasing noise around Shubman Gill’s return — with suggestions that he could be reinstated as opener and even named vice-captain. Make no mistake: Gill is a world-class batter, coming off a superb red-ball series in the UK and widely seen as a future all-format captain. But here’s the thing — does that automatically warrant replacing someone who has already nailed the job?
Samson, alongside Abhishek Sharma, has been India’s go-to opening pair over the past year in T20Is. And they’ve delivered. More importantly, Samson credits captain Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir for showing faith in him — something he says gave him the confidence to succeed at the top.
There’s a real case to persist with the setup that’s worked. As tempting as it is to slot Gill back in as opener — based on his IPL form with GT — doing so might disrupt what has become a reliable foundation. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” feels apt here.
So, can Gill play at No. 3? Absolutely. That opens up a different but equally tricky puzzle. With Surya locked in at 4, the fight for the No. 3 and 5 slots gets fierce. Tilak Varma has looked assured and deserves a long run. Shreyas Iyer, fresh off leading Punjab Kings to the IPL final, also can’t be ignored. Then there’s Axar Patel — the ultimate floater. Whoever misses out, it won’t be due to lack of merit.
In fact, someone close to the team summed it up well: “This has to be a very pleasant headache to have.”
The depth is undeniable — so much so that India could field two white-ball XIs capable of beating top teams. That’s the IPL effect. But with the Asia Cup 2025 just weeks away, all eyes now shift to the selection table.
