New Delhi: India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav on Tuesday said that the team is glad to have Shubman Gill as the vice-captain of the side for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. The marquee event will begin on September 9 in the UAE with the final being played on September 28. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) named a 15-member squad for the continental showpiece event on August 19.
Gill is making his comeback in the shortest format after 13 months after having played his last T20I in July 2024. The 25-year-old wasn’t a part of India’s T20 squad during the team’s World Cup-winning campaign in 2024 but did have a good run in the IPL 2025 and subsequently the England Test series. The BCCI is looking at making Gill the skipper in all the formats after the dashing player took over the reigns from Rohit Sharma in the longest format.
We are happy to have Gill: Suryakumar
‘The last time when he played T20Is for India, post (the) T20 World Cup (2024), when we went to Sri Lanka (in July 2024), not (the tour of) Zimbabwe. I was leading then and he was the vice-captain and that’s when we started a new cycle for (the next) T20 World Cup’, Suryakumar said while briefing media at BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.
‘After that he got busy with all the Test series (at home). He did not get the opportunity to play T20 cricket because he got busy playing Test cricket and also the Champions Trophy. He is there in the squad (now) and we are happy to have him,’ added the T20I skipper.
Apart from Gill, Suryakumar also spoke about Jitesh Sharma who got his spot back in the squad. Jitesh is the second wicketkeeper in the 15-member unit apart from the experienced Sanju Samson and on back of a good run in the IPL 2025 for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), he has earned his spot in the national team.
(With PTI inputs)