India’s T20I team is preparing for a strong campaign in the Asia Cup 2025, with Shubman Gill coming back as vice-captain. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee announced a 15-player squad for the tournament in the UAE. Shubman Gill, who also leads India in Tests, returns to T20 cricket after nearly a year away.
India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, welcomed the news. “The last time Shubman played T20I for India was in Sri Lanka. I was captain, and he was vice-captain. That’s when we started the new cycle for the T20 World Cup,” Yadav said.
Strong IPL Performance Earns Recall
Gill’s recall comes after a brilliant IPL 2025 season with the Gujarat Titans. He scored 650 runs in 15 matches, averaging 50 with a strike rate of 155.87. He helped his team reach the playoffs.
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His T20I record is also impressive, with 578 runs in 21 matches at an average of 30.42, including one century and three fifties. Gill is one of the few Indian players to score centuries in all three international formats.
Asia Cup as a Preparation Platform
Suryakumar Yadav underlined the importance of the tournament. “This is the first major tournament after the T20 World Cup. We played a few bilaterals, but this is a good chance to test ourselves,” he said.
The Asia Cup will help the team prepare for the 2026 T20 World Cup, giving players a chance to fine-tune their performance in T20 cricket.
Selectors Explain Choices
Chairman Ajit Agarkar explained why Gill missed recent T20Is. His commitments in Test cricket and the Champions Trophy created openings for players like Sanju Samson. Agarkar said team balance was key in selection.
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He praised Abhishek Sharma for his all-around skills and clarified that Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer missed out due to strategy, not performance. Rinku Singh was included to strengthen the batting line-up while keeping spin options ready.
Planning for the Future
Agarkar said the selection committee had a clear plan after the last T20 World Cup. “We identified 16-18 players who should be in form before the next World Cup,” he said. The Asia Cup will test combinations and help finalise strategies for bigger tournaments ahead.
India’s Group Stage Schedule
India, the defending champions, are in Group A with the UAE, Pakistan, and Oman. They start against the UAE on September 10 in Dubai, face Pakistan on September 14, and finish the group stage against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.
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The tournament runs from September 9 to 28, 2025. It gives India a platform to assert dominance and get ready for future global challenges.
