“How will you remove the vice-captain?” - Ravi Ashwin opens up on Shubman Gill’s T20I form

Ravi Ashwin argues that Shubman Gill’s T20I vice-captaincy makes it an "increasingly tough decision" to remove him from the XI, regardless of his form. Ashwin suggested Gill's appointment made Sanju Samson’s exclusion from the Playing XI "inevitable."

By Jack 15 Dec 2025 in Cricket

New Update

Former Indian spinner Ravi Ashwin has reckoned that it’s going to be an incredibly tough decision to remove the Indian T20I vice-captain, Shubman Gill, from the Indian playing XI in the ongoing five-match T20I series against South Africa.

Speaking exclusively on his YouTube channel, Ashwin observed that it wouldn’t look nice to drop the vice-captain to bring in Sanju Samson in the opening slot. However, he felt that if Gill doesn’t perform well in the ongoing T20I series against the Proteas, the team management should decide on him.

"I am a little concerned. Shubman is not only the opener but also the vice-captain. How will you remove the vice-captain? It is going to be an incredibly tough decision. If you have to take that decision, inside this series you can't bring Samson because it does not look nice to drop the vice-captain. You can ask whether vice-captains have been dropped in the past or not. But he has been taken and should be given a fair run. If he does not perform in the five games, then a decision will have to be made," Ravi Ashwin said on 'Ash ki Baat' on his YouTube channel.

Unfortunately, the Indian T20I vice-captain, Shubman Gill, has played 15 T20I games in 2025, scoring only 291 runs at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26, with the highest score of 47.

"You should know your best XI and best squad (for T20 WC) by now. I don't think there are any doubts in the bowling. That department is sealed. Another good message is that Harshit Rana is showing what he is capable of. He is executing what he is good at. The only question is, if Shubman doesn't make the runs, should he be there or should Samson be playing. The only unfortunate thing from here on I do not want to see is Gill making runs at a lesser strike rate. That should not happen,” he concluded.

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