Shubman Gill has been named India’s T20I vice-captain for the Asia Cup 2025. As per a report in the Indian Express, head coach Gautam Gambhir wants to groom Gill as the future T20I captain, which led to his appointment as deputy for the tournament.
Suryakumar Yadav, who turns 35 soon, will lead India in the Asia Cup. However, the selectors also discussed the need to identify his long-term successor. Gill, already the Test captain, emerged as the preferred choice.
Interestingly, Gill wasn’t the initial frontrunner for the role—Axar Patel was in contention to continue as vice-captain. But decision-makers felt it was wiser to back a young player who could serve Indian cricket for years to come.
T20I: Selectors Believe Now is the Right Time to Groom Shubman Gill
The selectors explored other potential candidates but couldn’t find anyone else suitable to shoulder responsibility for the next five years. With Shubman Gill leading the team in Tests, there is a strong consensus that this is the perfect moment to groom him for the future.
This decision has temporarily blocked the spot for Yashasvi Jaiswal, who impressed many with his batting on the England tour. T20I, The selectors will now need to fit Gill into India’s XI for the Asia Cup 2025, and it is expected that he will open the innings alongside Abhishek Sharma.
Gill’s inclusion comes as a surprise to many, as he hasn’t played a T20I this year. His last appearance was in 2024. However, in the Indian Premier League (IPL), he has been in stellar form over the past three seasons, scoring 650 runs last season and guiding his team to the playoffs.
Asia Cup 2025 is set to begin on 9th September and will be hosted across two venues in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). T20I, India will kick off their campaign against the UAE on 10th September at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.