Shubman Gill was a surprising omission from India's T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
The biggest decision during the squad selection for the T20 World Cup 2026 was excluding Shubman Gill and making Sanju Samson India’s primary wicketkeeper-batter. Gill made a surprise return to the T20I squad for the Asia Cup 2025, but his abysmal form forced the selectors to make a harsh call by preferring Ishan Kishan as Samson’s backup.
When Gill was injured during the T20I series against South Africa, Samson finally had an opportunity at the top, scoring a timely 37, which has been attributed as one of the reasons for his selection as the main opener. Once Gill was injured and Samson scored, the selectors’ job became a tad easier, and they also awarded Ishan Kishan, who was harshly treated before.
However, Ravichandran Ashwin has quashed such talks, stating it was always on the cards, highlighting his previous prediction. On his YouTube channel, he explained that Samson’s Ahmedabad knock was irrelevant, for he would have been the first-choice opener with Abhishek Sharma even if he hadn’t played that knock.
“I thought it [Samson’s Ahmedabad innings] was irrelevant. I said earlier that the formula would change, and I predicted the combination would change. I’m not surprised at all because I think the way it was going, it was only a formality that this was going to happen. When it was revealed that Shubman was injured [for the last two T20Is], it became clear right then that Sanju was going to be at the World Cup. There’s no rocket science to it. I have been playing for 15 years for Indian cricket and have seen a lot of this.”
Shubman Gill returned to the T20I setup and was immediately promoted to the vice-captain role in the format. However, his performances remained underwhelming throughout the year, for he could only accumulate 291 runs at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26 in 15 innings, including a best of 47, this year.
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With Samson waiting on the bench, the pressure was piling on him, and once the injury occurred, the selectors were forced to omit him altogether. It was a harsh call against Gill, who still possesses high skills and brings watertight technique at the top to complement other big hitters in the batting lineup.
Now with Suryakumar Yadav also out of form, India’s batting lineup can be vulnerable and bundle on a low score on tricky surfaces against quality bowling attacks. But the logic behind the move was still understandable: Gill didn’t do himself any good despite getting ample chances at his preferred batting position, also the easiest in a T20 setup.
Kishan’s return is well-deserved after his Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy heroics, but his selection looks a bit hasty, given it’s a T20 World Cup squad. But again, the selectors were also under pressure to make a bold call, given Samson has historically been unfairly treated and wasn’t at fault when Gill got his opening spot.
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