The Asia Cup 2025 debate of whether Shubman Gill should be a part of the squad or not has been a hot one. Team India’s Test captain, Shubman Gill, flexed his dominant muscles in the India Tour of England series and led India to a historic 2-2 draw.
Gill has been captaining Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and has been a prolific leader. The sense of security and clarity which he engulfs his team players with is commendable and people draw huge levels of inspiration from him.
Several cricket experts have opined that Shubman Gill doesn’t fit into the Indian team as his template is not suited to the evolving T20 cricket. However, former legendary off-spinner, Harbhajan Singh, has lavished praise on the 25-year-old cricketer.
“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. 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,” said Harbhajan Singh in a conversation with Times of India.
Shubman Gill is an all-format player: Harbhajan Singh
Singh also mentioned that Gill is an all-format player and can dominate the format. Harbhajan Singh, who has previously won the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2007 T20 World Cup, also feels that T20 cricket needs sheet anchors some times.
“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,” he added.
