Shubman Gill’s appointment as vice-captain for Asia Cup 2025 T20Is has stirred debate. Seen as a reward for his successful Test captaincy debut, it raises questions over India’s T20I opening combination and signals a long-term leadership investment.
Team India Test captain, Shubman Gill, making his return to the T20I fold as a vice-captain for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, became a huge topic of debate after the 15-member squad was announced on Tuesday, August 19th. The India squad was officially unveiled by chief selector Ajit Agarkar at the press conference, which was also attended by T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.
Shubman Gill was an uncertainty for the Asia Cup squad selection, given that he was away from T20Is to focus on red-ball cricket, especially the Test series against New Zealand, Australia, and England. Additionally, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson were India’s opening pair in the three T20I series against Bangladesh, South Africa, and England, so Gill’s chances of getting selected were slim.
However, Shubman Gill made it to the India squad not as a player but as a vice-captain, deputising Suryakumar Yadav in the Asia Cup 2025. His appointment as a vice-captain despite being away from T20Is for a year has sparked discussions among fans and experts.
First Test captaincy success rewarded with T20I vice-captaincy
Shubman Gill’s appointment as a vice-captain for the Asia Cup T20 seemed to be a reward from the selectors and team management for his success in his maiden assignment as a Test captain in the series against England. The 25-year-old successfully led India to a thrilling five-match Test series draw after the visitors pulled off a dramatic six-run win in the Oval decider.
Apart from his captaincy, Shubman Gill had a brilliant run of form in the England Test series, amassing 754 runs, including 4 centuries, at an average of 75.4 in 10 innings. At the press conference, Agarkar lauded his captaincy in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, and the way he performed with the bat.
“We obviously see some leadership qualities in him. And his form in England was what we were hoping for. He exceeded all our expectations with the kind of form that he showed with his bat, which is a great sign when there is so much pressure on you as a captain.” Agarkar said.
During the transition phase in India’s T20I setup after Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from the format following the T20 World Cup triumph last year, Suryakumar Yadav was appointed as captain, while Shubman Gill was named vice-captain for the Sri Lanka T20I series.
However, for the next three T20I series, Axar Patel was handed the vice-captaincy role as Shubman Gill decided to step away from the format to focus on Test cricket.
Was Gill first-choice for vice-captaincy in T20Is?
As per the report by the Indian Express, Shubman Gill was surprisingly not the first choice for vice-captaincy in T20Is, as other people in the BCCI wanted Axar Patel to continue as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy. However, the overall mood during the selection meeting, which was attended by Suryakumar Yadav in person and Gautam Gambhir via online, was that it was better to invest in a player who is going to serve Indian cricket for a long time.
With Suryakumar Yadav turning 35 on September 14, the selectors felt that it was the right time to prepare him to take over the T20I captaincy baton from Suryakumar in the near future, making Gill’s elevation a move for long-term vision rather than short–term necessity.
Apart from Test captaincy, Shubman Gill was already in a leadership role as he was vice-captain to Rohit Sharma in the ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy 2025. Gill already has captaincy credentials under her belt, especially in T20, leading the Gujarat Titans in the last two seasons of the Indian Premier League.
Gill’s return to T20I leaves the opening combination in a conundrum
Shubman Gill’s return to T20I after a year for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 leaves the team management in a dilemma in picking the opening combination for the tournament. When Gill was away from T20Is, team management experimented with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as the opening pair for the last three T20I series.
Samson and Abhishek shared 267 runs between them, including a fifty, at an average of 22.25 in 12 matches across three T20I series against Bangladesh, South Africa, and England. which now puts the team management in a tough spot over whether to continue with the current opening duo or reinstate Gill at the top of the order.
If Gill gets to open, Samson is likely to be demoted to the middle order of the batting line-up, as Abhishek Sharma is certain to retain his spot in the top order given his explosive powerplay batting and left-handed advantage.
Ahead of India’s opening match against the hosts UAE, on September 10, it remains to be seen whether the team management, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir, opts for experience by slotting Shubman Gill back as opener or continuing with Samson-Abhishek opening pair, which has been groomed over the past few series.