In a major shake-up to India's T20 leadership and structure, BCCI officially omitted Shubman Gill from the 15-member squad for 2026 T20 World Cup.
The decision, announced by Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar and Captain Suryakumar Yadav, sees Axar Patel promoted to vice-captaincy while Gill, who held the role until recently, misses out entirely.
Combination Over Form: Suryakumar's Stance
Addressing the media at the BCCI headquarters, Suryakumar Yadav was quick to dismiss rumors regarding Shubman Gill's technical ability. He clarified that the exclusion was a tactical maneuver designed to maximize middle-order flexibility.
"It's not about his form; it’s about the combination. We wanted a wicketkeeper-batter at the top and felt the need to strengthen the middle order with impact players like Rinku Singh and Washington Sundar," Yadav explained.
He further emphasized that there is "no chatter about his quality," describing Gill as a "terrific player" who fell victim to the specific balance required for the upcoming tournament.
Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar's Verdict
Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar echoed these sentiments, noting the difficulty of trimming the talent pool to just 15 names.
Agarkar admitted that while Gill is a world-class talent, the emergence of Ishan Kishan and the need for a more aggressive T20 approach necessitated this courageous call. Statistics backed the decision, as Gill has struggled to find consistency in his recent T20I appearances, failing to score a fifty in his last 15 innings.
In his last ten T20I innings for India, Shubman Gill struggled for consistency, failing to register a single half-century. His scores include: 28, 0, 4, 29, 46, 15, 5, 37, 12, and 4.
India's T20 World Cup 2026 Squad, IND-NZ T20Is
Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan.
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