Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has raised a timely and thought-provoking concern over how Team India should handle Shubman Gill’s ongoing dip in form, especially given his role as vice-captain. With the T20 World Cup 2026 just two months away, Ashwin believes the team management is approaching a critical phase where tough decisions can no longer be postponed in the interest of long-term clarity.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin acknowledged that Gill deserves a longer rope in the ongoing series against South Africa, but warned that patience cannot be unlimited. The Indian opener has scored only 291 runs in 2025 at an average of 24.25, striking at 137.26, and is yet to register a half-century since returning to the T20I XI in September. Despite promising starts, consistency has eluded him, which has added to the pressure.

Gill’s appointment as vice-captain has further complicated the selection dynamics. His elevation saw Sanju Samson pushed down the order and eventually dropped, despite marginally better returns, while Axar Patel was removed from the leadership group. In the third T20I in Dharamshala, Gill once again looked fluent early before being bowled by Marco Jansen for 28 off 28 balls, reinforcing concerns about his inability to convert starts.

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“I am a little concerned,” Ravichandran Ashwin admitted, highlighting the dilemma facing the team. “Shubman is not just the opener, he is also the vice-captain. Dropping a vice-captain is an incredibly tough call. You have to give him a fair run. But if he doesn’t perform across the five matches, a decision will have to be made.”

Ashwin also pointed out that India still hasn’t locked in their best XI, which is far from ideal with a global tournament around the corner. While he feels the bowling unit is settled, he praised Harshit Rana for effectively leveraging his strengths, but the batting combination remains a grey area.

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The former India spinner issued a clear warning about one potential red flag. If Gill begins scoring runs at the cost of strike rate merely to secure his place, it could hurt India’s aggressive T20 approach. “That is the one thing I do not want to see,” Ashwin said, underlining that intent and impact matter as much as volume of runs in modern T20 cricket.