IND vs SA 2025: 'How will you remove the vice-captain?' Indian stalwart raises major concern over Shubman Gill after Dharamsala dud

The legendary Ravichandran Ashwin feels that India will have to take a call on Shubman Gill's place in the T20 team if he fails in the last two matches against South Africa. However, he wondered how difficult a decision it would be to remove the Indian vice-captain from the side, especially with the T20 World Cup being just two months away.

Shubman's dismal form with the bat continued on Sunday, December 14, as he scored a run-a-ball 28 against South Africa at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. Since he returned to the T20 setup ahead of the Asia Cup in September and was named vice-captain in the format, Shubman has scored just 291 runs in 15 matches at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26.

During the ongoing five-match series against the Proteas, the right-handed batter has aggregated just 32 runs in three innings at an average of 10.67 and a strike rate of 103.23.

"I am a little concerned. Shubman is not only the opener but also the vice-captain. How will you remove the vice-captain? It is going to be an incredibly tough decision. If you have to take that decision, inside this series you can't bring Samson because it does not look nice to drop the vice-captain. You can ask whether vice-captains have been dropped in the past or not. But he has been taken and should be given a fair run. If he does not perform in the five games, then a decision will have to be made," he said on 'Ash ki Baat'.

Harshit Rana is showing what he is capable of: Ashwin

Harshit Rana played the third T20I, replacing Jasprit Bumrah. The youngster bagged two wickets with the new ball. Ashwin was impressed with how the right-arm seamer bowled in the clash. However, the former spinner returned to Shubman's topic and said that the 26-year-old should not resort to scoring at lower strike rates to get runs under his belt.

"You should be knowing your best XI and best squad (for T20 WC) by now. I don't think there are any doubts in the bowling. That department is sealed. Another good message is that Harshit Rana is showing what he is capable of. He is executing what he is good at. The only question is, if Shubman doesn't make the runs, should he be there or should Samson be playing. The only unfortunate thing from here on I do not want to see is Gill making runs at a lesser strike rate. That should not happen."

Ashwin also stated that India could restrict opponents to low scores if they include Bumrah in the bowling attack that played on Sunday.

"What happened today, I want to see in the World Cup. If you play this attack with Bumrah, if you play this combination, you will bowl at teams for low scores. There is a high possibility you will choke teams. We will get that choice, and we must take it. The captain and coach should think of going with the best bowling attack. If the batters can take a little more responsibility with Hardik in that squad, I am sure you can play your best bowling attack," he said.

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Ashwin also noted that the Gautam Gambhir-led team management is somewhat concerned about the batting. However, he urged them to back the batters and put the best bowling attack on the park during the T20 World Cup.

"The Indian team management is worried about the batting somewhere deep inside their head. I don't know what that worry is because we have been in fabulous form in T20 cricket with both bat and bowl. Play your best bowlers. You will lose sometimes because it is a high-risk game. You go into the World Cup with the best bowling attack, and then if you lose, you lose. But put the best men in the park."