The biggest concern for Team India ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 is the fitness of Suryakumar Yadav. After sports hernia surgery, he is now rehabbing at the Centre of Excellence of the National Cricket Academy. It is expected that he will be fully fit before the tournament, but if this does not happen, the question of captaincy will become a big issue.
Shubman Gill's T20I future uncertain
Suryakumar was made the captain and Shubman Gill the vice-captain after Rohit Sharma retired from T20I cricket. In normal circumstances, Gill should get the captaincy in the Asia Cup 2025 in SKY's absence, but he has not played any T20I since July 2024. Right after the Asia Cup, there is a Test series against the West Indies, which will start on October 2. Because of this, it seems almost impossible for Gill to play in the Asia Cup, and the question of captaincy ends with him.
Questions on Axar Patel's place
Axar Patel was made the T20I vice-captain before the England series in January. He also captained the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2025, but the team missed out on the playoffs. His batting has improved, but his bowling performance was not as effective as before. Spin will be important on UAE pitches, and Washington Sundar's consistent performance can bring him forward in the team. If Axar's selection is not certain, then why take the risk of making him captain or vice-captain?
Hardik Pandya's case is complicated
As soon as Hardik Pandya's name comes up, the captaincy option seems strong. He is a white ball specialist and his place in the team is fixed. Pandya has won the IPL with the Gujarat Titans as skipper of the team and is now the captain of the Mumbai Indians. Despite this, after Rohit's retirement, he was not made the captain, and Axar was given the responsibility of vice-captain. If Hardik did not get a chance, now the question arises why he will be selected as captain suddenly.
BCCI's incomplete plan
The board have not yet decided on a permanent vice-captain who will be in the team in every situation. Because of this, if Surya is not fit, there will be uncertainty about the captaincy. This uncertainty can affect the team's preparation before an important tournament like the Asia Cup. In our opinion, if Suryakumar is not available, Hardik Pandya should be given the captaincy. His presence will not disturb the balance of the team and the team will also benefit from experience.
