The appointment of Shubman Gill as vice-captain for the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE has once again cast a shadow of uncertainty over Sanju Samson’s place in India’s T20 setup.

Although Samson, the long-serving Rajasthan Royals skipper in the IPL, has been named in the 15-member squad, Gill’s inclusion has sparked speculation that the Kerala-born wicketkeeper-batter could miss out on a place in the playing XI.

Fuel was added to the fire by the sequence in which chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced the squad. Notably, he mentioned Gill and Jitesh Sharma first, while Samson and Rinku Singh were listed towards the end. This has led many to believe that Gill is being groomed to open alongside Abhishek Sharma in India’s tournament opener against Oman.