- By Namrata Vijay
- Thu, 14 Aug 2025 01:24 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Asia Cup 2025: India's star batter Shubman Gill is on the verge of becoming the captain of India's T20I team for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, which will be held in the UAE. But Gill hasn't played during India's last three T20I series against Bangladesh, South Africa, and England. The two reasons why the team management seriously wants Gill to be back in the T20I team are that he just won't be playing as a batter, but also as the skipper.
It should be noted here that the BCCI never really chose a full-strength T20I team after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup. Gill wasn't part of that team, but he led a young team from the front during the T20I series against Zimbabwe, which was held right after India had won the T20 World Cup. He was also India's T20I vice-captain during the series against Sri Lanka, and as the pressure of performing in the other two formats increased, the team selectors chose to drop him from the T20Is.
He also didn't feature during India's home T20I series against Bangladesh, and neither did he play in the T20I series against South Africa and England at their backyard. He was thus replaced by Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, who had smashed hundreds consistently as an opener.
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This is why it has become challenging. Post the way Gill had performed as a skipper and led an inexperienced side from the front during the five-match Test series against England, it wasn't easy not to have him play in the other two formats, and at a time when a continental tournament like the Asia Cup is fast approaching.
As per a Times of India report, the selectors want just one skipper across all formats. Although Suryakumar Yadav hasn't done anything wrong both as a skipper and a batter in the shortest format, it wouldn't be logical for him to be replaced by Gill, but Gill's role as the captain is more or less guaranteed.
India's Test skipper might make a comeback to the shortest format for the upcoming continental tournament as the vice-captain.
‘The messaging has to be clear about who takes over after Suryakumar Yadav’
Besides Gill's brilliant performance against the Ben Stokes-led side, where he had scored 754 runs after playing in five Test matches, what could help him is the team management's decision to choose just one skipper across all formats.
Indian cricket has usually leaned towards captains across formats who can cater to the market forces and bring substantial brand value. That Gill has become a major brand can’t be ignored," the report said.
"There’s no reason why Gill should not get a leadership role in T20. The messaging has to be clear about who takes over after Suryakumar Yadav,” ex-India Devang Gandhi was quoted as saying to the Times of India. “Unlike other countries, split captaincy doesn’t work in India in the long run because you crave stability in the thought process. When you have a prolific all-format player leading in one format, it becomes difficult not to hand him the same responsibility in the other format. Gill has ticked all the boxes as a batter. And he has led in IPL,” he added.
Ex-India cricketer Deep Dasgupta reckoned that Gill would be prepared to become a captain across formats in the future.
“Sanju Samson has done well. But he struggled against a full-strength England team at home. That was the only series under Surya where India played a top international full-strength team. Gill can play the role of Kohli, who can take the innings deep in high-pressure tournaments. He has IPL performances to back him. On slower pitches in the UAE, one must have that kind of player. Going by how Agarkar’s panel has worked, the planning will be beyond the Asia Cup. If they need to groom a captain for the future, they will have to decide if Axar Patel is above Gill," he concluded.
The BCCI will announce India's squad for the Asia Cup 2025 next week.