Amidst criticisms, former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin supported the BCCI call for appointing Shubman Gill as the vice-captain of the Indian cricket team in the Champions Trophy 2025. Ashwin feels that it was a "futuristic call" from the selection team, considering his experience in doing so in the previous series and some in the Tests. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin opined, “Just think about whom else we can appoint as vice-captain from the current squad. I will not say whether the decision to appoint Gill was right or wrong, but the point that was raised was correct that he was the vice-captain in the last series as well. I could be wrong, but I guess he’s done some vice captaincy in Tests as well. I think this decision is a futuristic call as the management might be thinking about who could be their leader in the future." Shubhman Gill has been the vice-captain in both the T20 and ODI teams that played against Sri Lanka away in June 2024. Even though he was not selected in the T20 squad in the home series against England, but regained his responsibility in the ODI series and the CT2025. Read also: Mohammed Siraj Set for Ranji Trophy Return Against Vidarbha Axar Named Vice-Captain for T20I Axar Patel has been named vice-captain for the T20I series against England, with competition for a spot in the playing XI between him and Jadeja, while Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul might both play, and Shubman Gill could rely on Kohli and Bumrah if he becomes captain in the future. Speaking about that, Ashwin feels the ice captain title will assure him a spot in the playing XI. Ash said, “Axar Patel has been named as the vice-captain for the upcoming T20I series against England. There’s stiff competition between Axar and Jadeja that which one out of the two will play in the XI. If we look at Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul, the latter is an incumbency keeper. There could be a possibility that both Pant and Rahul play but they’ve given the vice captaincy to the player whose place in the playing XI is confirmed. If Shubman goes on to become a captain in the future, then he can lean on Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah to guide him.” On Saturday, January 18, Rohit Sharma and the BCCI Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar announced the squad for the Champions Trophy, which said that Gill will deputy Rohit in the tournament. Reports have suggested that Gill has been kept on the list of possible captains in the future. Gill captained India's T20I team during the 2024 Zimbabwe tour, leading them to a 4-1 victory. In 2023, the 25-year-old was the highest run scorer in 50-over cricket, amassing 1584 runs in 29 matches at an average of 63.36, including five centuries and nine fifties.