New Delhi: Shubman Gill made his comeback to India’s T20I squad after a year as the Men in Blue announced their squad for the Asia Cup 2025 last month.
Despite having a settled opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel picked Gill in the squad and named him the vice-captain for the tournament.
Gill’s inclusion left many surprised as they were expecting Shreyas Iyer to make the cut after his stellar show in IPL 2025. Gill being appointed as deputy to skipper Suryakumar Yadav also means that he is likely to open the batting and will replace Samson at the top, disrupting India’s settled opening pairing.
Speaking on Gill’s inclusion in the Asia Cup squad, former India batter Robin Uthappa suggested the decision is not purely from a cricketing point of view. Uthappa said Gill’s selection was influenced by the marketing and business side of things, as he is viewed as the next superstar of Indian cricket. The former batter explained how BCCI has always backed all-format stars in every era.
“They have caused an issue for themselves by bringing Shubman into this whole process of including him in T20 cricket. But I also think from an Indian cricket perspective, at all kinds of eras, you have always had superstars and they have backed a particular player for the sake of Indian cricket, and I think that narrative is continued to be followed right now,” said the 2007 T20 World Cup winner.
“I think the marketing and business narrative also takes precedence, and I think that is also a part, which is why he is also brought in. You want certain superstars to take the game forward. Shubman is going to be one of them,” he added.
India to begin Asia Cup 2025 campaign against UAE
Suryakumar-led India will begin their campaign in the Asia Cup 2025 with a clash against hosts UAE on September 10. They will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their next game on September 14, before locking horns with Oman in their final group-stage match on September 19. India might face Pakistan three times in the Asia Cup 2025.
The two teams will meet in the group stage in Dubai on September 14, before locking horns again in the Super 4 stage if they qualify for the next round. India can Pakistan can also meet in the final, if both teams manage to reach the summit clash. India will enter the Asia Cup 2025 as the defending champions, having won the last edition of the tournament in 2023.
