Shubman Gill named India's all-format captain

Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar backed Shubman Gill’s appointment as Team India's vice-captain for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, which is scheduled to begin on September 9 in Dubai. The veteran commentator stated that Shubman Gill could become Team India's all-format captain in the near future.

Shubman was named vice-captain under skipper Suryakumar Yadav, which drew criticism and sparked debates. The BCCI decided to back Gill despite the controversies surrounding player inclusion. Notably, left-handed batter Yashasvi Jaiswal was not included in the 15-member squad for the tournament.

Shubman Gill Could Be Leading the T20 Side - Sunil Gavaskar

Speaking to India Today, Sunil Gavaskar stated that Shubman Gill impressed with his batting during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. Gavaskar added that the team management is confident in his potential to lead India’s T20 team in the future.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

“He scored over 750 runs just a couple of weeks ago. You cannot exclude a player in that kind of form. Giving him the vice-captaincy is also a way of telling him that in the future, he could be leading the T20 side. I think it's a very, very good selection,” Gavaskar told India Today.

Shubman led the national cricket team in the recent England Test series, scoring 754 runs in five matches at an average of over 75, including four centuries. Notably, he has been a regular player for India in ODIs over the past three years.

Shubman Gill Was Very Impressive in England as Well -Sunil Gavaskar

Shubman finished the Anderson-Tendulkar series as the top run-scorer. Sunil Gavaskar said that Gill showed composure under pressure, adding that he can become India’s future captain across all three formats.

“He was very impressive in England as well. To score 750-plus runs while leading the side for the first time shows how well he handled pressure. This vice-captaincy is a clear sign that he is destined to lead India in the future,” he added.

The 2025 Asia Cup is scheduled to take place in the UAE from September 8 to September 28. Eight teams will compete in the tournament, with India entering as the defending champions.

Shubman Gill Last Represented India in a T20I in 2024

Shubman Gill last played a T20I in 2024 after the T20 World Cup. He recently succeeded Rohit Sharma as India’s Test captain and also serves as the vice-captain in ODIs. The batter has experience with the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL.

Gill’s vice-captaincy became the most discussed decision as India announced its 15-member Asia Cup squad. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad in 2024, was omitted from the main squad but included in the five-member standby list.

Jitesh Sharma was selected as one of India’s two wicketkeeper-batters alongside Sanju Samson, while Rinku Singh secured a place. Shreyas Iyer, who did not feature in either the main squad or the standby list, was among the notable exclusions.

Also read: Indian selectors ask Shreyas Iyer to start preparing after heavy backlash