Suryakumar likely to lead India in UAE despite growing calls for Gill
The BCCI is set to announce India’s squad for the Asia Cup 2025, and all indications point to Suryakumar Yadav retaining the captaincy for the T20I tournament, despite growing chatter around Shubman Gill as a long-term all-format leader.
According to a report by Times of India, the 34-year-old SKY, who is currently recovering at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, is expected to attend the selection meeting in Mumbai on August 19, confirming his continued role at the helm. The tournament, scheduled to run September 9–28 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, will be India’s first major assignment since the T20I retirements of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja.
Gill’s leadership push muted, for now
Gill’s dominance with the bat in England and his appointment as Test captain had led to mounting speculation that he could also take over India’s T20I leadership. However, selectors appear to have opted for continuity with Suryakumar for the Asia Cup.
“Gill has built an aura similar to what Virat had in 2017. Virat was groomed under MS Dhoni. Gill is also at his peak, like Virat was. He, too, has reacted to captaincy as well as Virat did. Ajit Agarkar has shown great foresight by appointing Gill as Test captain. There’s no reason why Gill shouldn’t be in a leadership role in T20. The messaging has to be clear about who takes over after Surya,”
— former India selector Devang Gandhi told The Times of India.
“Unlike other countries, split captaincy doesn’t work in India in the long run because you crave stability in the thought process. When you have a prolific all-format player leading in one format, it becomes difficult to not hand him the same responsibility in the other format. Gill has ticked all the boxes as a batter. And he has led in IPL,”
— Devang Gandhi added.
But despite the strong endorsement, reports suggest Gill may not even find a place in the playing XI. With India likely to persist with the opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, Gill is seen as struggling to break into the side.
“With India looking to persist with the opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, Gill is currently struggling to even make it to the side. Even Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had a great series in England, and middle-order bat Shreyas Iyer are likely not to be picked for the T20 side. Jaiswal has been told by the selectors to focus on red-ball cricket,”
— a BCCI source was quoted as saying by TOI.
Iyer and Samson returns confirmed by senior source
While there remains uncertainty around Gill’s inclusion, a senior source told Sports Tak that Shreyas Iyer and Sanju Samson have both been cleared to return to the T20I squad for the Asia Cup.
This would mark Iyer’s comeback to India’s T20 setup after more than 20 months, adding much-needed depth to the middle order. Samson, meanwhile, appears to have finally secured a consistent role following strong performances and the retirements of senior players.
Suryakumar’s fitness under watch ahead of selection
Although SKY is expected to captain, his medical clearance will be pivotal. He is currently completing final assessments after undergoing sports hernia surgery earlier this year. Selection committee members are closely monitoring his fitness, with the National Cricket Academy (NCA) providing real-time updates.
The final squad announcement is expected on August 16 or 17, once selectors have reviewed the latest fitness reports from the NCA.
📅 Asia Cup 2025 full schedule (T20 format – UAE)
All match timings in IST
Group A (India, Pakistan, UAE, Oman)
- Sep 10 – India vs UAE — 7:30 PM, Dubai
- Sep 12 – Pakistan vs Oman — 7:30 PM, Dubai
- Sep 14 – India vs Pakistan — 7:30 PM, Dubai
- Sep 15 – UAE vs Oman — 3:30 PM, Abu Dhabi
- Sep 17 – Pakistan vs UAE — 7:30 PM, Dubai
- Sep 19 – India vs Oman — 7:30 PM, Abu Dhabi
Group B (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong)
- Sep 9 – Afghanistan vs Hong Kong — 7:30 PM, Abu Dhabi
- Sep 11 – Bangladesh vs Hong Kong — 7:30 PM, Abu Dhabi
- Sep 13 – Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka — 7:30 PM, Abu Dhabi
- Sep 15 – Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong — 7:30 PM, Dubai
- Sep 16 – Bangladesh vs Afghanistan — 7:30 PM, Abu Dhabi
- Sep 18 – Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan — 7:30 PM, Abu Dhabi
Super Four Stage
- Sep 20 – Group B Qualifier 1 vs Group B Qualifier 2 — 7:30 PM, Dubai
- Sep 21 – Group A Qualifier 1 vs Group A Qualifier 2 — 7:30 PM, Dubai
- Sep 23 – Group A Qualifier 1 vs Group B Qualifier 2 — 7:30 PM, Abu Dhabi
- Sep 24 – Group B Qualifier 1 vs Group A Qualifier 2 — 7:30 PM, Dubai
- Sep 25 – Group A Qualifier 2 vs Group B Qualifier 2 — 7:30 PM, Dubai
- Sep 26 – Group A Qualifier 1 vs Group B Qualifier 1 — 7:30 PM, Dubai
Final
- Sep 28 – Final — 7:30 PM, Dubai
A defining tournament for India’s next-gen core
The Asia Cup 2025 will be a litmus test for India’s new-look T20I side, now operating without its long-standing veteran core. With SKY expected to lead, and young stars like Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, and Sanju Samson stepping into bigger roles, the tournament offers a glimpse into India’s future.
All eyes will be on how this transitional squad performs—and how selectors position India heading into the 2026 T20 World Cup.
