Shubman Gill could be India's vice-captain for Asia Cup: Report
What's the story
Shubman Gill, India's Test skipper on the recent England tour, is likely to be appointed the vice-captain for the impending T20 Asia Cup 2025, according to a report by RevSportz. The tournament will kick off on September 9 in UAE. As Suryakumar Yadav is expected to recover in time for the T20I format of this year's tournament, Gill could step into a leadership role. This would mark his return to India's T20I squad after a long absence.
Return to T20I
Gill's absence and impressive IPL performances
Gill's return to the T20I squad comes after a long absence due to his heavy involvement in other formats. His last T20I appearance came in Sri Lanka, in July 2024. Moreover, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson had filled in the opening slots in T20Is. However, Gill's impressive performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) have made him a strong candidate for the T20I squad. Gill currently has 578 T20I runs at a strike rate of 139.27.
Leadership prospects
Potential captaincy transition in the future
The narrative of Gill becoming India's next ODI skipper has also been doing the rounds on social media. However, it remains to be seen if the transition from Rohit Sharma to Gill happens before the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa. Rohit, India's current ODI captain, led the side to the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy title. However, he is active only in ODIs and on the other side of the age.
Combination
India's team combination
India's current T20I side has had an influx of IPL stars who have shown positive results. The likes of Abhishek, Sanju, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Suryakumar, and Hardik Pandya among others might give India's Test stars a tough competition. A BCCI source, in a recent conversation with PTI, said that Gill "should walk into any T20 squad despite a stupendous show by Samson and Abhishek."
Campaign
India's Asia Cup campaign
As mentioned, the T20 Asia Cup will be played between September 9 and 28 in the UAE. Defending champions India will begin their campaign against hosts UAE in Dubai on September 10. They will face Pakistan and Oman on September 14 and 19 respectively. The top two sides from each group will proceed to the Super Fours.