Is Suryakumar Yadav Excited About Shubman Gill's Return to India's Asia Cup Squad?

Mumbai, Aug 19 (NationPress) - India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has expressed his enthusiasm for Shubman Gill's return to the T20 format, following the announcement of the 15-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee.

Gill, who also holds the position of vice-captain for the T20I team, makes his comeback after nearly a year away from this format.

“The last time I recall Shubman playing a T20I for India was during our tour to Sri Lanka. At that time, I was the captain, and he was the vice-captain. That marked the beginning of our journey towards the next T20 World Cup,” Suryakumar remarked to reporters.

“After that series, he was occupied with various Test matches, which limited his opportunities in T20Is due to his commitments with Test cricket and the Champions Trophy. Now that he is back, we are thrilled.”

Gill's return comes on the heels of a stellar IPL 2025 season with the Gujarat Titans, where he led his team to the playoffs, amassing a total of 650 runs in 15 innings, with an impressive average of 50 and a strike rate of 155.87. His T20I record is equally commendable, with 578 runs in 21 matches, averaging 30.42 and a strike rate of 139.27, including one century and three half-centuries. Notably, Gill is among the select few Indians to achieve centuries in all three formats of international cricket.

Suryakumar emphasized the significance of the Asia Cup as a crucial step towards the 2026 T20 World Cup, stating, “This is our first major tournament after the last T20 World Cup. We’ve played some bilateral series, but this tournament is a prime opportunity for us to evaluate our performance. With several T20 matches ahead before the T20 World Cup, this is where our journey begins.”

Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors, acknowledged that Gill's absence from recent T20Is was primarily due to scheduling conflicts and the commitments of other formats, which allowed players like Sanju Samson to step up.

“Sanju was included because Shubman and Yashasvi Jaiswal were unavailable at that time, along with Abhishek Sharma. Abhishek’s performances have made it challenging to exclude him, especially with his bowling skills,” Agarkar explained.

When questioned about Gill's direct return to the playing XI, Agarkar remained non-committal: “The captain and coach will decide on the best team balance. Once we arrive in Dubai, we will have clearer options. Shubman has been in exceptional form recently, as has Sanju, providing us with multiple strong options, including Abhishek.”

Regarding omissions, Agarkar was transparent. Yashasvi Jaiswal is on the standby list, having lost his spot to Abhishek Sharma. “It’s unfortunate. Given Abhishek's recent performances and his ability to bowl, one of these players was destined to miss out.”

Despite a successful IPL 2025 with the Punjab Kings, Shreyas Iyer was also excluded. Agarkar stated, “It’s not his fault; you have to tell me who he would replace. For now, he must wait for his opportunity.”

On Rinku Singh's inclusion, Agarkar mentioned that achieving balance was crucial: “He has always been part of our considerations. Currently, we have two mystery spinners, Varun and Kuldeep, along with Axar, who has been consistent. When we need four spinners, he could always be in the mix. For now, we needed an additional batter in Rinku, and with a limit of 15 players, we had to make tough decisions.”

Agarkar confirmed that the selection committee has a clear strategy post the previous T20 World Cup. “Following the last World Cup, we identified a direction. We aim to provide the 16-17-18 players we’ve pinpointed the best chance to prepare for the World Cup.”

India, the defending champions, finds themselves in Group A alongside UAE, Pakistan, and Oman. They will kick off their campaign against the UAE in Dubai on September 10, followed by a high-stakes match against Pakistan on September 14, and concluding the group stage against Oman in Abu Dhabi on September 19. The tournament is scheduled from September 9 to 28 in the UAE.