Shubman Gill’s poor form in T20Is has become a serious headache for India’s team management with the T20 World Cup 2026 just weeks away. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has now raised a big question: how do you drop a vice-captain who is not scoring runs?

Ashwin’s concern and the 5-match deadline

Speaking on his Hindi YouTube channel ‘Ash ki Baat’, Ashwin said he is worried about Gill’s form and the difficult position it puts the team in. “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,” Ashwin said.

He added that Gill should be given a fair run in the ongoing series against South Africa. “He should be given a fair run. If he does not perform in the five games (against South Africa), then a decision will have to be made,” Ashwin stated. With three T20Is already gone and two more to come on December 17 and 19, the clock is ticking on Gill’s T20I future.

Gill’s poor run of form

Shubman Gill has not scored a single fifty in his last 21 white-ball international matches, which is a shocking statistic for a player of his quality. In the first three T20Is against South Africa, he has managed scores of a golden duck, 4, and a run-a-ball 28. These numbers are nowhere near what India expects from their vice-captain and opening batter heading into a home T20 World Cup.

The bigger issue is timing. The T20 World Cup 2026 begins in early February, which is less than two months away. India need to finalize their best XI soon, and Gill’s struggles are creating confusion in team selection and batting order.

Samson vs Gill debate

Ashwin also touched on the bigger selection debate: should Sanju Samson be playing instead of Gill? Samson was dropped from the XI after Gill’s return, with Jitesh Sharma coming in as the wicketkeeper. This forced India to change their team balance, and it has not looked smooth so far.

“You should be knowing your best XI and best squad for the T20 World Cup. The only question is, if Shubman doesn’t make the runs, should he be there or should Samson be playing,” Ashwin said. He also pointed out that the unfortunate thing would be if Gill starts making runs at a much lower strike rate, which would defeat the purpose of having him in the T20I side.

Vice-captaincy makes it complicated

The fact that Gill is the vice-captain makes this decision even tougher. Ashwin admitted that it does not “look nice” to drop the vice-captain mid-series, especially during a home series just before a World Cup. But at the same time, if Gill continues to fail in the remaining two matches against South Africa, the management will have a very tough call to make.

India have five more T20Is against New Zealand in January before the T20 World Cup begins. If Gill does not find form in the South Africa series, those matches against New Zealand could become his last chance to prove he deserves a spot in the World Cup XI.