'After Rohit Sharma steps away, Shubman Gill will become the captain...': Mohammad Kaif

“In the last three years, Gill has scored 2,000 runs. He is the future captain. He is the Test captain, and in T20Is, he is the vice-captain. Rohit is the ODI captain. He is almost 38, and I believe will retire after the 2027 ODI World Cup. When he steps away, Gill will become the captain,” he said.

Over the years, Gill has secured his place in the Indian team as a regular face across all three formats of the game. Additionally, he has also been appointed as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup 2025.

During the squad announcement, chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressed Gill’s sudden promotion and return to the shortest format of cricket.

“We obviously see some leadership qualities in him. And his form in England was what we were hoping for. He exceeded all our expectations with the kind of form that he showed with his bat, which is a great sign when there is so much pressure on you as a captain,” Agarkar said while speaking to reporters.

After Rohit retired from Test cricket, Shubman was appointed as the new Test skipper for the side. In the concluded five-match Test series against England, he managed to secure a 2–2 draw in his debut series as captain.

So far, in 21 T20I matches, the 25-year-old has scored 578 runs, with an average of 30.42 and a strike rate of 139.27. The right-hander also has a century and three half-centuries in the shortest format of the game, with his top score being an unbeaten 126 runs.

India's squad for Asia Cup 2025: Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

(With ANI Inputs)