Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has downplayed the idea that Shubman Gill can be India’s all-format captain after the team’s T20 World Cup triumph. Under Suryakumar Yadav’s captaincy, India successfully defended their T20 World Cup crown, beating New Zealand by 96 runs in the summit clash at Ahmedabad on Sunday. 

Gill was appointed as the team’s vice-captain in the Asia Cup 2025 and it was expected that the right-hander could take over the T20I captaincy baton from SKY after the recently concluded T20 World Cup. But things went south for Gill as he could not perform as per the expectations and found no place in India’s World Cup squad.

Gill leads India in the ODI and the Test format and has done a decent job thus far.

“It’s going to be difficult, although the Indian team thought that it would become easier if there were one captain for all three formats. However, it won’t happen at all. I feel we won’t be able to do that because he is the Test and ODI captain, but he can’t get the T20I captaincy. At this moment, even his name coming is difficult because of the way the Indian team has been playing, especially the last four games,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

Chopra said India won’t need an anchor role in T20Is as they were targeting scores of 250 in the World Cup.

“When you are talking about 250, and that too in a World Cup, then you don’t think you need an anchor. Shubman Gill can adapt and change, but we shouldn’t lose Shubman Gill, the Test batter, in trying to find that, and lose the Shubman Gill who can become an absolute giant in ODIs. I think it’s going to be difficult for Shubman Gill,” he observed.

Gill will lead Gujarat Titans in upcoming IPL 2026.