‘You can only pick XI in the match and you can only pick 15 in the squad. Somebody has to miss out’
‘No point in discussing whether A or B or C should've been there’
Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar said it’s time to support India’s Asia Cup squad, refusing to debate Yashasvi Jaiswal’s exclusion.
Gavaskar emphasised that while fans and experts may have opinions before a squad is announced, once the selection committee finalises its decisions, discussing a player’s non-selection only creates unnecessary controversy — something players never want.
Despite being part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad, Jaiswal was left out of the Asia Cup squad. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill, who had been a reserve player during the ICC event, not only returned to the squad but was also appointed vice-captain for the continental tournament starting September 9 in the UAE.
‘You can only pick XI in the match and you can only pick 15 in the squad. Somebody has to miss out, that's just one of those in Indian cricket. No point in discussing whether A or B or C should've been there. This is now our team. We can all have our opinions before the selection committee picks the team but once the team is picked, we should back it fully. We shouldn't be saying A should've been there or B should've been there. That only creates controversy, which the players don't need,’ Gavaskar told India Today.
Gavaskar also said he was not surprised by Gill’s return to the T20I setup, especially with the added responsibility of vice-captaincy.
‘Not surprising at all. He (Shubman Gill) 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 tour to England. 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.
He 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.’
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