“The entire Asia Cup passed and he didn't play” - Ex-Indian cricketer questions Indian team management

Former Indian batter and commentator Aakash Chopra has questioned the Indian team management’s decision to bring in keeper-batter Jitesh Sharma for Sanju Samson in the third T20I in Hobart.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra asserted that while Jitesh was selected in the squad as the preferred first-choice keeper, he didn’t get a chance in the entire Asia Cup campaign with Sanju Samson occupying the middle-order spot.

"Jitesh Sharma has played and Sanju Samson hasn't played. So, what does it mean? I would say do not read anything between the lines for a simple reason, that we are unable to understand. Why are we searching for logic? When Shubman Gill started opening, it was assumed Jitesh Sharma would only play down the order," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

"The entire Asia Cup passed and he didn't play. First Sanju played down the order and then up the order. Sanju played in the final as well and scored a few important runs. Now you sent him at No. 3 in one innings and then dropped him after that. I know Sanju's fans will be rightly angry, but I don't see any finality in this, that he won't be there and Jitesh Sharma will only play because this was a slightly randomized selection," he added.

Interestingly, Shubman Gill was elevated as the vice-captain of the Indian T20I team ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 campaign, and Samson was later demoted to the middle-order to compensate Gill at the opening slot. However, Gill failed to live up to expectations in the shortest format of the game of late. 

"Shubman Gill needs to be spoken about because he is unable to score runs. He played well in Canberra in the first match. In Melbourne, the ball hit him on his head and he played a slightly loose shot as well, and here he got out to an absolutely full ball," he said.

Interestingly, Gill could score only 184 runs in 10 innings at an average of around 20 since his return to the format at the Asia Cup 2025 campaign, which didn’t go down well with a lot in the Indian cricketing fraternity. 

"There is a question mark. You are coming under pressure. It is not a good thing. I won't say even for once that Shubman Gill is out of form because he has been in incredible form in 2025, but he is short of runs at the moment. ODI series, Asia Cup, and this now, and with Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal breathing down his neck, Shubman Gill needs to score runs in the two remaining games," he concluded.

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