Shubman Gill has returned to India’s T20I squad as vice-captain for the upcoming Asia Cup, replacing Axar Patel. The 15-member squad, announced by the selection committee on Tuesday, will be led by Suryakumar Yadav. Gill is expected to open the batting, with Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as other top-order options.
Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar praised Gill’s leadership skills and recent form in England, where he exceeded expectations under pressure. Gill also played a key role in India’s Champions Trophy triumph and scored 650 runs for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025. His return marks a comeback to the T20I format after being rested for several series due to Test and ODI commitments.
India’s middle and lower order features Suryakumar, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, and Jitesh Sharma, who could be the first-choice wicketkeeper. Allrounders Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Shivam Dube provide balance, while the bowling unit includes Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, and Harshit Rana, who also adds depth with the bat.
Notably, Yashasvi Jaiswal missed out on the main squad despite being among the reserves, alongside Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, and Dhruv Jurel. Shreyas Iyer, who had an outstanding IPL season with 604 runs at a strike rate of 175, also failed to make the cut. Agarkar explained that competition for spots meant some players had to wait for their opportunity.
India are placed in Group A with Pakistan, Oman, and UAE. They begin their campaign against UAE in Dubai on September 10, followed by matches against Pakistan on September 14 and Oman on September 19. This tournament will be India’s first T20I assignment since January and an important step in preparation for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
India Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Shubman Gill (vc), Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson.
Reserves: Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
