Shubman Gill's Asia Cup Selection: A Statement of Intent

===============

Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors, was non-committal on Shubman Gill's selection for the Asia Cup, but his actions spoke louder than his words. Gill's appointment as vice-captain was a clear indication that he will be part of the starting XI.

Gill's form in England, where he scored over 750 runs in five Tests, has not gone unnoticed by the selectors. They believe his form must be built upon, and his automatic selection as vice-captain ensures he will be part of the XI.

Sanju Samson, who opened in Gill's absence, is set to miss out on the starting XI. His returns in the recent T20 series against England were modest, and Jitesh Sharma is likely to make the final XI as a specialist wicketkeeper.

Sunil Gavaskar suggests Samson can bat lower in the order, and Agarkar has not ruled out the possibility. However, it seems certain that Samson will not be part of the starting XI.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was expected to make the cut, has been omitted due to the selectors' preference for a balanced team with only seven games in the Asia Cup. Shreyas Iyer, who was also omitted, has attracted criticism on social media, but Agarkar stressed it was neither Iyer's fault nor the selectors'.

Shivam Dube's selection as an all-rounder has raised eyebrows, but the selectors see him as a valuable asset, even though he has not bowled much in recent times.