Shubman Gill has played 21 T20Is for India.
The Asia Cup 2025 is all set to kickstart in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on September 9. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced the squad for the tournament. The Asia Cup will be played in the T20 format after the one in 2023 was played in the 50-over format. India are the current champions of the Asia Cup in the ODI format, whereas Sri Lanka clinched the title in 2022, which was played in the T20I format. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the Indian team, and Shubman Gill will be his deputy for the tournament.
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The inclusion of Shubman Gill as the vice-captain has raised a lot of eyebrows. Though his skills in the shortest format of the game are extremely good, the fact that he was made the deputy comes as a surprise for many. Another shocker came in the form of the exclusion of Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal from the squad. Jaiswal has been included in the stand-by players. But the Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper is nowhere to be seen in the 15-man squad which will be on the flight to the UAE.
Former India spinner, Maninder Singh, spoke about the inclusion of Gill as the vice-captain. He also justified Gill’s selection in the team stating that the management might be looking at Gill as the future captain of India in all formats. He predicted that the selectors have taken the decision keeping the future in mind. And because India’s Test skipper has age on his side, it would be good to nurture him under Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy for the next two years.
“I feel that the selectors have basically decided that he is going to be our future captain. And if he is going to be our future captain, then you better make him the vice-captain because Surya Kumar Yadav may have just another two years of T20 cricket, and then you have Gill ready under him”, said Maninder with PTI videos.
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Despite the snubs of Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal, the Indians look well set for the tournament. The top-order is one of the headaches that the management and Suryakumar Yadav will have to sort out. Shubman Gill’s selection as the vice-captain will mean that he walks into the playing XI. Abhishek Sharma is a sure contender for the opening spot, considering his exploits in the Indian Premier League (IPL). His explosive starts help the team steer through the powerplay in the shortest format of the game.
The problem revolves around the inclusion or otherwise of Sanju Samson. If not for Shubman Gill in the squad, Samson was the most preferred opener alongside Abhishek. But since Gill is not slated to open the batting, the only way Samson can play is in the middle-order. And to say the least, he has started batting in the middle order for his franchise in the Kerala Cricket League 2025. This might be an indication of some communication from the team management. As long as the wicketkeeping role is concerned, Jitesh Sharma is the firm favourite to start.
The bowling looks sorted with Jasprit Bumrah as the spearhead of the attack. However, it has been clarified that the pacer would not play each game in the series. Along with him, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana will take up the mantle of the fast bowling. To add to that, Hardik Pandya will be the bowling all-rounder in the team. The team has decided to go with a heavy spin-bowling attack, considering the conditions in UAE. The dry weather in the subcontinent is what can contribute towards the success of the team.
