Will Shubman Gill recover in time for Asia Cup?

• Gill ill, misses Duleep Trophy. Doubts for Asia Cup prep initially.
• Ankit Kumar to lead North Zone in Gill's absence. Arshdeep, Rana to play.
• India's Asia Cup campaign starts Sept 10 vs UAE. Gill is vice-captain.

India's preparations for the Asia Cup 2025 have seemingly hit a slight bump as newly appointed Test captain Shubman Gill has been forced to miss the opening

round of the Duleep Trophy due to illness.

Scheduled to begin on August 27 in Bengaluru, the tournament was supposed to mark Gill's return to domestic cricket as captain of North Zone. However, a bout of viral flu has sidelined the 25-year-old, raising questions about his readiness for the upcoming continental event initially.

According to reports in The Times of India, Gill's condition is improving and recent blood tests have shown no serious issues. The Punjab-born right-hander is expected to check in at the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) Centre of Excellence later this week to resume training. With just under two weeks remaining for the Asia Cup, the Indian camp remains optimistic that Gill will regain full fitness in time.

In his absence, Haryana batter Ankit Kumar, originally named vice-captain, will lead North Zone in their opener against East Zone. North Zone will also feature pacers Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, both part of India's Asia Cup squad, before they depart for the UAE.

Gill's importance to India's T20 setup cannot be understated. He last represented India in a T20I against Sri Lanka on July 30, 2024, in Pallekele, where he was also entrusted with the role of vice-captain. For the Asia Cup 2025, he will serve as deputy to skipper Suryakumar Yadav in a squad that includes star pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Notably, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer failed to find a spot in the 15-member squad.

India begins its Asia Cup campaign on September 10 against hosts UAE in Dubai, followed by a highly anticipated clash against Pakistan on September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Their final Group A fixture is set for September 19 in Abu Dhabi against Oman.

All eyes will now be on Gill's recovery, as India look to enter the tournament with its vice-captain fully fit and ready for a crucial campaign.