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Suryakumar Yadav, India’s current T20I captain, recently underwent surgery for a sports hernia and has now begun rehab at the Centre of Excellence.

While there’s optimism about his return in time for the Asia Cup 2025, injury recovery is rarely straightforward. If his rehabilitation hits a snag, India may have to look elsewhere for leadership.

If Not Suryakumar, Then Who? 

Shubman Gill, officially SKY’s deputy in T20Is after Rohit Sharma’s retirement, seems the natural replacement.

However, he hasn’t featured in a T20I since July 2024, with the selectors focusing on his Test captaincy duties. With a two-Test series against the West Indies starting on October 2, just days after the Asia Cup ends, his participation looks doubtful.

Axar was named T20I vice-captain earlier this year but faces stiff competition in the spin department from Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Washington Sundar. Given the UAE’s spin-friendly conditions, the selectors may prefer others, raising questions about his automatic selection and leadership prospects.

Hardik, a fixture in India’s white-ball squads, has led both Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Yet, despite his leadership record, BCCI bypassed him for the T20I captaincy after Rohit’s exit, and even for the vice-captain role. If he wasn’t the choice then, it’s unclear why he would be now.

The absence of a clear, all-format vice-captain leaves India in a tricky spot. Should Suryakumar be unavailable, the selectors may find themselves scrambling to identify a leader for one of the most important tournaments of the year.

India's Asia Cup 2025 campaign is set to begin with their opening match against the United Arab Emirates on September 10, 2025, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The tournament will be held from September 9 to 28 in the UAE, featuring eight teams in the T20 format.