Follow UsShubman Gill has returned to India’s T20I squad after more than a year and has also been handed the vice-captaincy for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, beginning September 9 in the UAE. His promotion, taking over from Axar Patel, shows that the selectors and team management view him as a potential all-format skipper in the years to come.
Gill’s rise has been fuelled by outstanding performances across formats. In the IPL 2025, he scored 650 runs at an average of 50 and a strike rate of 155.88, guiding the Gujarat Titans (GT) to the playoffs. Soon after, in his very first assignment as Test captain, Gill impressed by leading India to a 2-2 series draw in England, while scoring 754 runs at an average of 75.40.
On numbers alone, Gill’s selection appears justified. But when viewed in the larger context of India’s current T20I set-up, there are compelling arguments against his inclusion in the Asia Cup squad - and especially against his appointment as vice-captain.
Here are three reasons why Gill perhaps should have been left out of the Asia Cup squad:
India’s T20I game plan since the 2024 T20 World Cup has been built on fearless batting, with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson being the major contributors. While Abhishek has smashed 535 runs at an average of 33.44 and a strike rate of 193.8, Samson has scored 487 runs at an average of 34.79 and a strike rate of 171.5.
The pair has provided India with blazing starts, often dismantling opposition attacks inside the powerplay. Between them, they have five centuries and three half-centuries in this period, underlining both consistency and explosiveness.
Gill’s return as vice-captain almost guarantees him a spot in the XI, meaning either Abhishek or Samson - both in peak form - will likely miss out. That risks disrupting a partnership that has clicked superbly so far.
While Gill’s IPL 2025 tally of 650 runs looks impressive, Jaiswal’s numbers make an equally strong, if not stronger, case. The Rajasthan Royals opener smashed 559 runs at 43 with a strike rate of 159.7, and crucially, dominated the powerplay like few others.
Jaiswal in powerplay (IPL 2025): 369 runs @ 61.5, SR 177.4
Gill in powerplay (IPL 2025): 282 runs @ 47.0, SR 143.2
In India’s new ultra-aggressive approach under Suryakumar Yadav, a batter like Jaiswal, who attacks from ball one, seems tailor-made for the top order. Over the past three IPL seasons, Jaiswal’s powerplay strike rate of 169.5 is significantly higher than Gill’s 143.2, highlighting the difference in their intent.
There’s no denying Gill has shown leadership promise, especially in England, where he thrived as Test captain. But giving him the T20I vice-captaincy so soon could prove counterproductive.
At just 25, Gill is already juggling multiple roles - India’s Test captain, Gujarat Titans skipper, ODI vice-captain, and now T20I vice-captain. GT have not reached an IPL final under his leadership yet, and while his Test captaincy debut was impressive, it was still just one series.
India are scheduled to play a two-Test series against both West Indies and South Africa in October and November. Those series would have provided a better yardstick to assess Gill’s long-term leadership credentials. Even if he wasn’t picked for the Asia Cup, India still have 15 more T20Is before the 2026 T20 World Cup, which would have been enough time to integrate him back into the format, if needed.