New Delhi: Shubman Gill is all but confirmed to make his T20I return, with India’s Test captain likely to be picked in the squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, starting September 9 in the UAE. In his first assignment as captain, Gill excelled with the bat, scoring 754 runs to help India draw the five-match series 2-2 against England.
According to a report in RevSportz, Gill is not only set for a T20I comeback but will also be appointed as vice-captain for the tournament.
“With Suryakumar Yadav set to be fit for the tournament, which will be played in T20 format this year, Gill is likely to deputise for him. 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.
Axar Patel has been serving as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy in the format following the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma after the T20 World Cup last year.
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.
Meanwhile, India’s T20I captain Suryakumar has shown significant signs of achieving full fitness ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup by batting in the nets during his ongoing rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE).
So far, Suryakumar has an impressive track record as India’s full-time T20I captain after Rohit Sharma retired from the format post 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup triumph.
Suryakumar has led India in 22 matches – 17 of those have resulted in wins. 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.
