Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma have been excluded from the T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
Why are Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma not in India squad for T20 World Cup 2026? This has been a major question since the team was announced.
Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma were among India’s plans till the recently concluded South Africa series. But now both are out of the squad, so the question ‘Why are Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma not in India squad for T20 World Cup 2026?’ is valid.
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Shubman Gill had made a surprising return to the T20I squad in the Asia Cup 2025 and was given preference ahead of Sanju Samson at the top. Unfortunately, he couldn’t grab his chances and kept getting out on low scores.
He has 291 runs at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26 in 15 innings, including a best of 47. These numbers weren’t convincing at all, and the pressure was mounting on him, with Sanju Samson on the bench.
Later, Gill sustained a toe injury before the fourth T20I against South Africa in Lucknow, and when Samson came in the fifth game, he did reasonably well. So, that must have played a role in his exclusion.
Suryakumar Yadav’s form is not great already, and the Men in Blue can’t afford to have two misfiring batters in the top four. India needed someone who could provide quick starts, and Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson were settled opening pair before Gill returned.
Shubman Gill will feel hard done by, but it was the right call to exclude him from the squad. Had he been part of the 15-man side, India would have been forced to include him in the XI since he’s also the vice-captain.
Jitesh Sharma’s exclusion has a direct relation to Shubman Gill’s omission. Once Gill was not part of the setup, India needed another top-order batter who could act as a backup opener.
Hence, India went with Ishan Kishan, who also provided a wicketkeeping option. So, Jitesh Sharma wasn’t required, and India went with Rinku Singh, a better pace-hitter in the lower order.
Jitesh’s only required if India need a backup wicketkeeper-batter for Samson, but with Kishan doing that role, he wasn’t really needed. India could afford a specialist lower-order batter in Rinku, who has been equally good in limited chances.
Jitesh would have been there had he been a top-order batter; that’s how the team combinations work. Gill’s omission took away his place from the T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
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