Aug 11, 2025: India's Test captain is likely to be included in the squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, which begins on September 9 in the UAE.
Shubman Gill's T20I return is almost certain. Gill performed admirably with the bat in his first assignment as captain, scoring 754 runs to help India draw the five-match series against England 2-2. RevSportz reported that Gill will not only play in a T20I comeback but also serve as vice-captain for the tournament. "Gill is likely to fill in for Suryakumar Yadav since he is expected to be healthy for the T20 tournament this year. This will not only mark Gill's return to the T20I setup but also enhance his status as a growing leader in the Indian dressing room across formats," the report said.
Following the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma following the T20 World Cup last year, Axar Patel has been acting as Suryakumar Yadav's replacement in the format. Gill's last T20I appearance came right after the T20 World Cup in 2024, during the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, which was Gautam Gambhir's first assignment as head coach.
During his ongoing rehabilitation at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE), India's T20I captain Suryakumar has batting in the nets, indicating that he will be fully fit for the upcoming Asia Cup. As India's full-time T20I captain following Rohit Sharma's retirement from the format following the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup victory, Suryakumar has an impressive track record thus far. Suryakumar has coached India in 22 matches, winning 17 of them. Across 83 T20Is, Suryakumar has accumulated 2,598 runs at an average of 38.2 and a blistering strike rate of 167.07. He last turned out on the cricket field for Triumph Knights Mumbai North East in the Mumbai T20 League in June, making 122 runs in four innings.