Shubman Gill over Axar Patel: The real reason behind India’s vice-captaincy shake-up for Asia Cup 2025 | Cricket News – Times of India

Shubman Gill and Axar Patel

NEW DELHI: India’s Test skipper Shubman Gill has been named vice-captain in India’s 15-member squad for the Asia Cup 2025 T20I match, to be held within the UAE from September 9 to twenty-eight. The appointment comes greater than two years after Gill’s final T20I outing in July 2023, when he had additionally served as deputy to Suryakumar Yadav.T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav was requested about Gill being chosen forward of Axar Patel, who had been vice-captain in Gill’s absence.“The last time he played T20Is for India was when we went to Sri Lanka after the T20 World Cup, not Zimbabwe. I was leading, he was vice-captain, and that’s where we started the new cycle for T20 World Cup. After that, he got busy with all the Test series. So, he didn’t get the opportunity to play anywhere in T20Is as he got busy playing Test cricket, as well as the Champions Trophy. So, he is there in the squad and they are happy to have him,” Suryakumar stated on the press convention.Gill’s elevation comes on the again of a promising begin as India’s Test captain in the course of the latest sequence in opposition to England.The eight-crew Asia Cup will probably be performed in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Defending champions India are drawn in Group ‘A’ alongside Pakistan, Oman and the UAE.

India will open their marketing campaign in opposition to hosts UAE on September 10, earlier than going through arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14 in a marquee conflict.

Following the Asia Cup, India are scheduled to play 15 extra T20Is within the lead-as much as the T20 World Cup, which will probably be collectively hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February 2026.India squad for Asia Cup 2025: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.Standby gamers: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Yashasvi Jaiswal.