'You think Virat Kohli doesn’t deserve to be there?' - R Ashwin opens up on Shubman Gill’s T20I comeback amid brilliant IPL 2026 campaign

Published - 22 May 2026, 15:17 IST | Updated - 22 May 2026, 15:37 IST

Shubman Gill lost his place in the Indian T20I setup right before the home series against New Zealand, which preceded the 2026 T20 World Cup. He had to watch both the assignments from the sidelines. However, India's Test and ODI skipper took the setback in his stride and has bounced back with an exemplary performance during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

With 616 runs from 13 matches, Shubman is in a race with Gujarat Titans teammate Sai Sudharsan to win the Orange Cap. Shubman's runs have come at a strike rate of 161.68. However, Ravichandran Ashwin believes it would be tough to give the Punjab batter a spot in the current Indian T20I team as many talented options are waiting in the wings. The former India spinner went on to mention that even Virat Kohli, who retired from T20I cricket in 2024, deserves a place in the side after his stunning performances in the ongoing IPL.

"You think Virat Kohli doesn't deserve to be there? He is doing so well, but maybe it's lucky for the Indian cricket that he has retired. Otherwise, he would also have been in this conundrum. Yashasvi Jaiswal hasn't done that well this IPL, but last year, he was a wonderful T20 player. We do not talk about him. There are so many contenders for opening," Ashwin said in his latest YouTube video.

Ashwin said that it's going to be very difficult to leave out the current opening duo of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, who have done well in T20Is for quite some time. He also stated that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has pressed his case for a maiden call-up to the national team after impressive performances for the Rajasthan Royals this season.

"A small kid has a strike rate of 220. He is special, maybe more special than Gill. Sanju Samson did well at the T20 World Cup, and nobody can drop him. Abhishek Sharma has been doing great for SRH. See, with the potential that Shubman Gill has, he can do even better. Shubman Gill's name will be there in any national T20 team in the world. It is quite unfortunate, and also fortunate in many ways, that Indian cricket is blessed," he added.

Ashwin jokingly said that if he had been in chief selector Ajit Agarkar's shoes, he would have given the selection meeting a miss and travelled to the Maldives for a vacation. The 39-year-old opined that the selectors are going to have a tough time picking the T20I squad, with several players putting in magnificent performances.

"If I were Ajit Agarkar, I would leave the selection meeting and go to the Maldives. I wouldn't pick up the phone," Ashwin remarked.