Asia Cup 2025: The Real Reason Behind Shubman Gill’s Vice-Captaincy Call

India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav will celebrate his 35th birthday during the Asia Cup 2025, and the Indian team management has already started planning for the future. According to a report in the Indian Express, head coach Gautam Gambhir, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, and several senior BCCI officials are keen on grooming Shubman Gill as the next T20I captain.

Gill, who last featured in the format in July 2024, returned to India’s T20I squad for the Asia Cup 2025 and was even named vice-captain, replacing Axar Patel. The move is seen as a clear indication that Gill is being fast-tracked to eventually become India’s all-format captain.

The 25-year-old has been in sublime touch across formats. In IPL 2025, he amassed 650 runs for the Gujarat Titans (GT) at an average of 50 and a strike rate of 155.88, guiding the franchise into the playoffs. He then impressed further by leading India in his first-ever Test assignment as captain, steering them to a 2-2 draw in England. With the bat, he was outstanding, scoring 754 runs at an average of 75.40.

Explaining the decision, Agarkar said, “We obviously see some leadership qualities in him, and his form in England was what we were hoping for. [He] exceeded all our expectations, which is a great sign when there’s so much pressure as captain.”

Gill’s appointment was not without debate. The report states that he was chosen ahead of other contenders such as Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer. The selectors and team management now view him as the natural successor to Suryakumar Yadav, most likely after the 2026 T20 World Cup.

“It was the matter that consumed most of the time at Tuesday’s selection meeting and head coach Gautam Gambhir, who joined online, was also of the view that India needs to groom someone for the future and Gill, who turns 26 next month, was the most eligible candidate,” Devendra Pandey reported for the Indian Express.

The report further revealed that there were differing opinions initially, with some officials believing Axar should continue as vice-captain. However, the broader consensus leaned towards investing in a younger player with a long-term future.

“Gill wasn’t the first choice initially and some people felt that Axar Patel should continue the role of vice-captaincy. But the overall mood at the selection meeting was that it’s better to invest in a player who is likely to serve Indian cricket for long. The panel couldn’t find any other candidate whom they can hand over responsibility for the next five years.

“As Gill is already leading in Test cricket, the selectors felt it was a right time to prepare him to take over from Surya some time in the future. As a result, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who also impressed on the England tour and has had an impressive start to his international career, had to miss out.”

With Gill’s elevation to vice-captaincy, he is also expected to slot straight into the playing XI. This could come at the expense of one of the two openers - Abhishek Sharma or Sanju Samson - both of whom have forged a successful partnership since India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph.