Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh wants BCCI selectors to include Shubman Gill in India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad, which reportedly is set to be announced by the board on Tuesday (August 19). According to Harbhajan, Gill, despite his lower strike rate in comparison to the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma and Sanju Samson, is a very talented batter, and he can score runs in any format.
Gill, who is the captain of India’s Test team, last played a T20I match in Pallekele on July 30, 2024, against Sri Lanka. He overall has 578 runs to his name in 21 T20Is, and his strike rate is 139.27.
“In the T20 format, it’s important to understand that it’s not just about big hitting. If Shubman decides to attack, he can match anyone, because he is a very solid player with strong basics. A batter with such a strong foundation can score runs in any format,” Harbhajan was quoted as saying by the Times of India.
“If you look at the IPL, Shubman has scored runs every season. He has worn the Orange Cap—and that doesn’t happen by chance. And it’s not like he bats only at a strike rate of 120 or 130. He can also bat at a strike rate of 160,” he added.
According to Harbhajan, who was a member of India’s 2007 T20 World Cup-winning team, Gill is a very talented batter who can adapt to any format, and one should not underestimate him.
“Yes, we do have players like Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma, but you cannot undermine or underestimate Shubman Gill. He is a very talented batter who can adapt to any format. He is an all-format player. In my opinion, he can play T20s and even dominate the format. We as fans are used to seeing fours and sixes every ball, but you also need batters who can play long innings and rescue the team when required,” Harbhajan said.
