India's T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav recently underwent surgery for a sports hernia. He has begun the rehabilitation process at the Centre of Excellence and is likely to be fit for the Asia Cup 2025. But if his recovery is interrupted, the issue of who will captain India becomes complicated. Suryakumar became captain after Rohit Sharma's T20I retirement, with Shubman Gill as his vice-captain. Gill, however, has not played a T20I since July 2024 and has been concentrating on Test cricket, where he was named captain for May. India's two-Test series against the West Indies will only begin a few days after the Asia Cup, so it would not be possible for him to play in the tournament. Axar Patel, who was appointed T20I vice-captain in January, has Delhi Capitals IPL captaincy experience behind him. However, his position in the playing XI is not secure. Having the Asia Cup in the UAE, there will be a lot of spin involved, and big knocks from Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, and emerging Washington Sundar might cost Axar his spot. Also Read | Brand Value of Indian Cricketers in 2025 Hardik Pandya is another in the running. An experienced leader with IPL achievements for Gujarat Titans and currently Mumbai Indians, Hardik appeared the obvious choice. Nevertheless, post-Rohit's retirement, he was snubbed for captaincy as well as vice-captaincy in favor of Axar. The reasons were not clear, putting his chances into question. The root issue is the BCCI not declaring a permanent vice-captain, a person assured of playing in all circumstances. That has deprived India of an identifiable second-in-command. In case Suryakumar is not available, selectors have a very difficult decision with no clear player to step in. Current circumstances are making India's captaincy for the Asia Cup 2025 a last-minute choice, one that might define their tournament campaign.