Despite a great appetite for runs in the Test and ODI format, Shubman Gill is yet to find his mojo in the shortest format.
Days away from the commencement of the much anticipated T20 World Cup 2026, the Men in Blue are all set to lock horns with New Zealand in a five-match T20I series. With all eyes locked on the prize, team India have some notable absentees, the biggest of them being Shubman Gill.
The Indian Test and ODI skipper was not selected for the five-match assignment, followed by the T20 World Cup. The decision was taken by the management after Gill’s recent failures against Australia and South Africa in the shortest format of the game.
Shubman Gill has not registered a single 50-plus score in T20Is since July 2023 – something that was growing to become extremely concerning for the Blues just before entering into the mega-event. Sanju Samson will now be India’s first-choice opener alongside Abhishek Sharma.
To add to that, Shubman Gill did not find a place in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 as well. The 26-year-old Indian batter expressed his feelings after his non-selection, and stated that he understood what was the need of the hour for the side.
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The way the Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper has played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) made him one of the most obvious picks for the Indian T20I side. Though he has averaged around 44 in the last two seasons of the tournament, striking around 150, the form has never translated at the highest level.
Since the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2024, Shubman Gill holds the lowest strike-rate for an opener in the shortest format for India. The other three openers – Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, all strike at 170 & above, with Gill lingering around the 130s.
It is hence in India’s best interests that Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma open the batting for the series against New Zealand and also the T20 World Cup 2026.
To add to that, the inclusion of Samson in the team effectively means that India do not have to force another wicketkeeper into the side, vacating a spot for a batter or all-rounder. The inclusion of Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya does give the team a lot of balance in the middle.
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