Shubman Gill to Replace Axar Patel As Vice-Captain in Asia Cup 2025?

The 13th edition of the Asia Cup 2025 is set to commence on September 9 in the UAE. This time, the tournament has expanded to eight teams, and the competition has increased. So, the Boards most likely will take their time and choose the best players for the Asia Cup. Amidst this, there are reports regarding a major change in the Indian camp ahead of the tournament. Some of the best Indian batters may even miss the upcoming ACC event.

Asia Cup India Vice Captain: Shubman Gill Likely to Replace Axar Patel?

After a challenging yet successful England tour, the selectors are likely to turn towards Shubman Gill as the Asia Cup India vice captain in place of Axar Patel. Reports suggest that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering the option of appointing Gill as the vice-captain to prepare him for the future. The young player was quite impressive in the recently concluded Test series against England, scoring around 754 runs in the tour. He was also given the ‘Player of the Series’ award for his remarkable performance. Gill is also considered to be one of the best Test batters in the world.

From the captaincy perspective, Gill was pretty impressive as well. Hence, that series was enough for the player to build confidence within the selectors to consider him as the vice-captain of the team. Gill is an incredible batter and has played in 21 T20I matches, amassing 578 runs at an average of 30.42. With Virat Kohli's retirement, Gill can play at the No. 3 position and take on the responsibilities of the team. Since he is a trustworthy batter, the selectors might eye him for an all-format captain.

While the board hasn't spoken anything regarding this matter, the reports are all over the internet. Axar Patel might be sidelined from the responsibilities of a vice-captain, but his all-round performance in the recent tours will surely keep him in the side. As per reports, the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar is most likely to announce the squad around August 19 or 20. They are waiting for the fitness report from the NCA regarding some players like SKY and Hardik Pandya. They visited the NCA a few days back, so a report on their fitness is necessary to include them in the squad. If the players get a green signal from the NCA, it will be good news for the team. Moreover, Bumrah's presence will bring an added balance to the bowling attack as well.

If the reports are to be trusted, then the board is planning to form a young core for the team, keeping the future in mind. As the squad announcement is just a few days away, all eyes will be on the BCCI and the selection committee. Asia Cup 2025 might see a change in the leadership aspect of the Indian team, so the wait for the squad announcement will be interesting for the fans and cricket experts.

Asia Cup 2025: Other Major Squad Changes

While the countdown has already begun, the eight teams participating in the tournament will announce their squads later this month. With the anticipation of the tournament on the rise, fans can expect several changes in the squads of their favourite teams. Reports suggest Pakistan are set to include Babar Azam in the Asia Cup squad. Meanwhile, Shadab Khan might miss the tournament due to a shoulder injury.

On the lines of injury, the good news for the Indian Cricket Team is that Jasprit Bumrah is most likely to return to the tournament, as per a report by PTI. Moreover, Suryakumar Yadav has been recovering from his sports hernia, so he was spotted at the NCA earlier this month. While the injury scare is hovering around all the teams, it will be intriguing to see who makes it to the squad for the Asia Cup 2025.