‘Seems like Gill is the heir apparent’ – Aakash Chopra not impressed with Shubman Gill's appointment as vice-captain for Sri Lanka tour

Team India's latest squad announcement for the multi-format tour of Sri Lanka has some surprises. Hardik Pandya was expected to lead the T20I side, but it was Suryakumar Yadav who received the captaincy baton. With KL Rahul in the ODI squad, Shubman Gill was named Rohit Sharma’s deputy. In addition, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhishek Sharma failed to find a place in the T20I squad despite performing well in the Zimbabwe series.

Reflecting on the Indian squad for the upcoming series starting July 27 in Pallekale, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra noted that Gill is considered as the future Indian captain. The 24-year-old, who led India during the Zimbabwe tour, has now been named vice-captain in both formats. However, speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that senior batter Rahul was a better choice.

Also Check: WATCH: Amit Mishra's bold remarks on Shubman Gill's captaincy during Zimbabwe series

"If we talk about the ODI squad, Rohit is going. Shubman Gill is the vice-captain. Interestingly enough Shubman Gill has been made the vice-captain of both teams. KL Rahul could probably have been made the vice-captain but he is not there, Shubman Gill is there. So it seems like Gill is the heir apparent," said the cricketer-turned-commentator.

Chopra expects Shivam Dube to play a big role

Chopra also observed the selection of all-rounder Shivam Dube in both T20I and ODI teams. He feels that Dube is expected to play a big role in the absence of Hardik Pandya in the ODI team. Notably, Sanju Samson, who scored a match-winning hundred in the last ODI against South Africa, is also missing from the ODI squad.

"Sanju Samson's name is not there here. Shreyas Iyer - he had a very good World Cup, he is there in the team. Shivam Dube is in both teams, both ODIs and T20Is. It means you are seeing a bigger role for him because Hardik Pandya's name is not there in ODIs," Chopra observed.

Also Check: BCCI announces India's squad for upcoming Sri Lanka series; Rohit to captain in ODI series