India debates captaincy as Gill leads Tests ahead of Asia Cup 2025

India is navigating a rare three-captain setup as it gears up for the Asia Cup 2025, with Shubman Gill leading the Test side, Suryakumar Yadav captaining the T20 International team, and Rohit Sharma continuing as ODI captain. The arrangement has intensified a long-running debate inside Indian cricket about whether the country should return to a single, all-format leader or retain a split-captaincy model for strategic reasons and long-term planning.

Historically, India has favoured a unified captaincy across formats to preserve a consistent leadership philosophy. That policy was loosened last year when Rohit Sharma stepped back from T20I captaincy following a triumphant T20 World Cup campaign, prompting Suryakumar Yadav to take charge of the T20I side while Rohit remained captain in Tests and ODIs. The succession has left Gill as the Test captain and has raised questions about his future role in other formats, particularly as selectors and veterans weigh the pathway to leadership beyond the Asia Cup.

Gill’s performance in England this summer has intensified the discussions. He captained the side through a challenging five-Test series and emerged as the leading run-scorer with 754...