Shubman Gill’s return to the Indian T20 team wasn’t entirely straightforward. Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma had given explosive starts when Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal were away playing other formats. Jasiwal wasn’t able to make it back. But the selectors’ kept faith in Gill. Seen as a future all-format leader, he’s also been named vice-captain, almost guaranteeing him to start in the upcoming Asia Cup where India begin their campaign against UAE on September 10.

“Looking at the way he batted in this T20 format in the IPL, it was a no-brainer,” Sunil Gavaskar said in a group interaction about Gill’s selection for the Asia Cup to be broadcast on Sony Sports Network. “He has been very successful in the T20 format for the IPL so there is no question that he has got the capability of doing well in T20. In the kind of form that he is in where he has scored more than 750 runs in the just concluded Test series, that really augurs well even for the T20 tournament.”

Gavaskar may have no doubts about Gill’s T20 credentials but the new Test captain would be well aware that he must bat at higher gear for India than what he does for his IPL side. After the 2024 World Cup win, Indian batters have been batting at fever pitch. Gill would want to match that tempo, particularly with Samson likely to either sit out or play out of position.

“It’s a very good headache to have for any selection committee that you have two capable batters and somebody like Sanju Samson who can maybe even bat at three, and if needed come down at six as a finisher. Jitesh has also done well in the recently concluded IPL. But my feeling is that Samson will probably get the nod,” said Gavaskar.

Tactics aside, on paper, India start heavy favourites, having had a spectacular 2024 on either side of the T20 World Cup and having continued the good work in the series against England, earlier this year. They have also had the better of their exchanges against Pakistan of late.

“I really will be surprised if India don’t win their matches comfortably. All their matches, not just against Pakistan, but even against Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka,” said Gavaskar. “If they don’t win comfortably, it will be a bit of a surprise. Because the Indian team really has, over the last couple of years, been a really superb team, in great touch and great form.”

Lacking spark?

Asia Cup as a tournament has changed a lot in shape and form from what it was when it started in 1984 where Gavaskar played. “It was primarily a 50-over tournament. And over the last maybe decade or so, it has moved from being a T20 tournament and a 50 over tournament, depending on what is the big ICC tournament which is likely to happen after the Asia Cup. When that kind of a thing happens, when you move the format up and down, the tournament does lose a little bit of its spark,” he said.

“That’s why maybe the interest factor is maybe not as high as it otherwise would have been. That said, in an ultra-short format like the T20, even an unfancied team has the opportunity to defeat a big-name team for the simple reason that an over or so can change the game completely. So, it evens up things a little bit. That’s the only reason why the T20 game is that much more exciting.”