India's Got Talent

Asia Cup: India name strong squad; Gill vice-captain, Bumrah in but Iyer misses out

- S KANNAN

MUMBAI: Test skipper Shubman Gill was on Tuesday appointed India's T20 vice-captain for next month's Asia Cup where Jasprit Bumrah will also be there to bolster the team's bowling attack even as a strong contender like IPL-winning captain Shreyas Iyer missed out due to abundance of talent in the format.

The 25-year-old Gill's last T20 International match was against Sri Lanka at Pallekele in 2024 and he has now replaced Axar Patel as the deputy of skipper Suryakumar Yadav in the 15-strong squad.

The Asia Cup begins on September 9 and India is placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Oman and the UAE.

Gill's inclusion was hardly a surprise after a stupendous run in the recent Test rubber against England where he scored four hundreds in the drawn five-match series.

"Gill's form in England was something we expected but he exceeded it all," chief selector Ajit Agarkar said during the squad announcement press conference here.

However, the management will have to ponder over Gill's batting slot during the continental showpiece because Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have forged an effective pair at the top.

Agarkar looked at it as a delightful problem of plenty rather than a headache.