Shubman Gill Wasn't 1st Choice T20I Vice-Captain, Says Report. Gautam Gambhir Was Of View...

Shubman Gill appointment as Team India's T20I vice-captain ahead of the Asia Cup has become a major topic of debate within the cricketing folklore. Gill, who impressed in his debut series at Test captain in England, was elevated in the leadership department in the shortest format of the game, as BCCI announced a 15-man squad for the Asia Cup. Gill's appointment, however, came as a shock to many as he has not played a T20I since July last year. 

When Ajit Agarkar, chairman of the selection committee, and T20I captain Suryakumar were asked about Gill's elevation during the press conference for the squad reveal, the duo insisted that the 25-year-old has always been an integral part of the T20 setup.

"The last time when he played T20Is for India, post (the) T20 World Cup (2024), when we went to Sri Lanka (in July 2024), not (the tour of) Zimbabwe. I was leading then and he was the vice-captain and that's when we started a new cycle for (the next) T20 World Cup.

"After that he got busy with all the Test series (at home). He did not get the opportunity to play T20 cricket because he got busy playing Test cricket and also the Champions Trophy. He is there in the squad (now) and we are happy to have him," said Suryakumar.

According to a report in The Indian Express, Gill's appointment as vice-captain came after a lot of deliberation. However, Gill was never the first choice as the Agarkar-led selection panel had other contenders in mind, including Axar Patel, who had been deputising Suryakumar in Gill's absence.

However, with age on his side, Gill was eventually given the nod during the selection meeting on Tuesday, which was also attended by head coach Gautam Gambhir.

Gambhir was one of the names favour of Gill's elevation.

"It was the matter that consumed most of the time at Tuesday's selection meeting and head coach Gautam Gambhir, who joined online, was also of the view that India needs to groom someone for the future and Gill, who turns 26 next month, was the most eligible candidate," the report said.

"Gill wasn't the first choice initially and some people felt that Axar Patel should continue the role of vice-captaincy. But the overall mood at the selection meeting was that it's better to invest in a player who is likely to serve Indian cricket for long. The panel couldn't find any other candidate whom they can hand over responsibility for the next five years. As Gill is already leading in Test cricket, the selectors felt it was a right time to prepare him to take over from Surya some time in the future.

The report also confirmed that the 25-year-old will be part of the first XI for the tournament in the UAE.

"With the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee picking Gill in the T20 squad, for the first time this year, it seems likely that the Test captain, who had a dream outing on the recent England tour, will feature in the playing XI during the tournament to be played in the UAE from September 9-28," it added.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Shubman Gill Axar Patel Gautam Gambhir Ajit Agarkar Suryakumar Yadav Asia Cup 2025 Cricket