New Delhi, Dec. 20 -- Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin believes that when Shubman Gill was ruled out from the last two T20Is against South Africa earlier this month, it became clear that it was going to be Sanju Samson opening alongside Abhishek Sharma in the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Gill suffered a significant setback after being dropped from the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup and New Zealand T20I amid fitness and form concerns.

Suryakumar Yadav is set to lead India in his first-ever ICC tournament as captain, with Axar Patel named as his deputy in the absence of Gill, who was dropped after lean performances upon his return to the T20I setup in September.

The team was announced by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia at the b...