Gill Returns to Lead India’s T20 Squad as Vice-Captain

Gill Returns to Lead India’s T20 Squad as Vice-Captain

Asia Cup 2025: India announces squad for the Asia Cup 2025 cricket tournament starts from September 9 to 28. India’s Test skipper Shubman Gill was named the vice-captain of the team. while Jasprit Bumrah will lead the Indian pace attack.

Shubman Gill has been announced as India’s T20I Vice Captain for the Asia Cup, and he is replacing Axar Patel.

On 19th August, the selection committee picked the 15-member squad that is going to be led by Suryakumar Yadav, and it will include Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, who are the opening candidates. Since Gill is the vice-captain, he is the leading candidate for one of the opening spots in the batting order.

Shubman Gill has made a strong return to India’s T20I squad as vice-captain for the upcoming Asia Cup. His recent performances in England and the Champions Trophy impressed the selectors, especially under pressure. Ajit Agarkar, chairman of selectors, praised Gill’s leadership qualities and said his form in England exceeded expectations, which is a great sign for someone taking on responsibility.

India’s batting lineup includes middle and lower-order options like Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, and Jitesh Sharma. If Gill and Abhishek Sharma open the innings, Jitesh could be the first-choice wicketkeeper. The squad also features three all-rounders Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, and Shivam Dube who add flexibility with both bat and ball.

The bowling attack is a mix of pace and spin, with Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, and Harshit Rana. Rana also adds some depth with the bat, giving India more options in the lower order.

Some notable players missed out. Yashasvi Jaiswal was named among the five reserves, along with Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel. Shreyas Iyer, despite scoring 604 runs at a strike rate of 175 in IPL 2025 and leading Punjab Kings to the final, didn’t make the main squad. Agarkar explained that it wasn’t anyone’s fault there’s only space for 15 players, and tough calls had to be made.

Gill had last played T20Is for India in July 2024 in Sri Lanka, also as vice-captain. Since then, he was focused on Tests and ODIs, including a standout performance in the five-Test series in England, where he led India to a 2-2 draw and scored heavily. He also had a strong IPL season with the Gujarat Titans, scoring 650 runs at a strike rate of 155.87.

Suryakumar Yadav, who led India during the Sri Lanka series, said Gill’s return marks the continuation of a new cycle that began after the 2024 T20 World Cup. He added that Gill was busy with other formats but is now back in the T20 setup, and the team is happy to have him.

The Asia Cup is India’s first T20I tournament since the England series in January. India is placed in Group A with Pakistan, Oman, and the UAE. Their matches are scheduled in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, starting with the UAE on September 10, followed by Pakistan on September 14, and Oman on September 19.

Suryakumar summed it up by saying this tournament is a great chance to test the team before the 2026 T20 World Cup. With around 20–22 T20Is lined up before the big event, the journey begins now.

India's squad for the Asia Cup

Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson

Reserve Players: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal