Sunil Gavaskar chose not to comment on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s omission from India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad, stressing the need to back the chosen team.
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Sunil Gavaskar on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s Asia Cup 2025 Omission
Legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar refused to comment on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s exclusion from India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad. The former captain emphasized that while people can express opinions before the squad is announced, once the selection committee releases their decision, discussing a player’s non-selection only stirs unnecessary controversy, which players do not want.
Despite being part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad, Yashasvi Jaiswal was left out of the Asia Cup. In contrast, Shubman Gill, previously a reserve in the ICC event, returned to the squad and was appointed vice-captain for the continental tournament starting September 9 in the UAE. Interestingly, both Jaiswal and Gill last played for India’s T20I side in July of the previous year before selectors decided to preserve them for the longer formats.
Yashasvi Jaiswal has scored 723 runs in 23 T20Is at a strike rate of 164, while Gill has 578 runs in 221 matches at a strike rate of 139. When Gavaskar was made aware of Jaiswal’s superior T20I numbers, he remarked that only 15 players can be included in the squad. “You can only pick XI in the match and 15 in the squad. Somebody has to miss out; that’s just how it is in Indian cricket. There’s no point in debating whether A, B, or C should have been included. This is now our team. We can all have opinions before the selection committee picks the team, but once the squad is finalized, we should fully support it. Saying A or B should have been there only creates controversy, which players don’t need,” Gavaskar told India Today.
Gavaskar backs Shubman Gill to become India’s T20I captain
Sunil Gavaskar expressed that he was not surprised by Shubman Gill’s return to the T20I setup, especially as the vice-captain. “Not surprising at all. He scored over 750 runs just a couple of weeks ago. You cannot exclude a player in that kind of form. Also, he has done really well in the IPL, which concluded just before the England tour. It’s a very good inclusion. Giving him the vice-captaincy is also a way of telling him that in the future, he could be leading the T20 side. I think it’s a very, very good selection,” Gavaskar said.
Gill scored 754 runs in the five-match Test series in England, which ended 2-2. Gavaskar added, “He was very impressive in England. To score 750-plus runs while leading the side for the first time shows how well he handled pressure. This vice-captaincy is a clear sign that he is going to be the captain of the Indian team as well. It’s always good to have him take the responsibility just a little bit earlier.”
