Will Shubman Gill Shine as Vice-Captain in Asia Cup 2025?

Mumbai, Aug 19 (NationPress) The national selectors for the men's cricket team have made a remarkable announcement, surprising Test captain Shubman Gill by including him in the T20I squad and appointing him as vice-captain under Suryakumar Yadav. Joining the team are T20 World Cup luminaries Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav for the upcoming Asia Cup, set to unfold in the United Arab Emirates from September 9.

The committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, aimed to strike a balance by prioritizing T20 experience while ensuring the inclusion of Indian cricket's brightest star, Shubman Gill. This decision highlights that current performance will be a key factor, even if it comes from the longest format. Gill was a standout performer during India's tour of England, amassing an impressive 752 runs, including a double century.

However, the notable absence of Shreyas Iyer from the 15-member squad has sparked discussions, especially given his stellar IPL 2025 performance. The selectors also opted not to include Mohammed Siraj, who shone during the England Test series, contributing to a 2-2 draw.

Another fast bowler, Prasidh Krishna, was also left out as selectors chose Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana to bolster the pace attack alongside Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, with medium pacer Shivam Dube available as needed. The spin department will see Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, and Kuldeep Yadav lead, accompanied by all-rounder Rinku Singh.

Standby players for India's Asia Cup squad include Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, as per chief selector Ajit Agarkar. He noted that standbys may not accompany the team to the UAE due to the tour's short duration.

Gill's selection intensifies competition for top-order positions, with Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, and Jitesh Sharma vying for places, while skipper Suryakumar Yadav, returning from surgery, will anchor the middle order alongside all-rounders Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, and Hardik Pandya, with support from Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy.

Suryakumar stated that Gill's inclusion was expected, as he served as vice-captain during the Sri Lanka tour following the 2024 T20 World Cup and captained the squad in Zimbabwe when SKY was unavailable.

“His last T20 match for India was after the T20 World Cup during our tour of Sri Lanka. He was busy with Test matches afterward, but we are thrilled to have him back,” said India T20I captain at the press briefing, which was delayed due to heavy rainfall in Mumbai.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia faced delays reaching the BCCI headquarters due to the downpour.

Chairman of the selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, explained that Gill's absence from the T20 squad was mainly due to scheduling conflicts and other commitments, allowing other players like Sanju Samson to step in.

“Sanju played because Shubman and Yashasvi were unavailable. Abhishek's performances also made it hard to exclude him, given his bowling skills. But Shubman was vice-captain the last time he played T20 cricket,” Agarkar added.

The eight-team Asia Cup T20I tournament will take place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from September 9 to 28. Defending champions India are placed in Group A with Pakistan, Oman, and the UAE.

The Men in Blue will kick off their campaign against the UAE on September 10, followed by a highly anticipated match against archrivals Pakistan on September 14.

India is set to play 15 T20I matches following the continental tournament in preparation for next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February.

Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

Standbys: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.