Axar Patel was named the new vice-captain as Shubman Gill failed to make the cut.
Shubman Gill’s snub was the highlight of India’s 15-member squad announced for the T20 World Cup 2026 and the upcoming five-match series against New Zealand on Saturday (December 20).
Gill’s return to the T20I fold as deputy during the Asia Cup 2025 didn’t yield best of returns as he scored only 127 runs in seven innings at an average of 21.16 and a strike rate of 151.19.
The right-hander failed to make a mark in the subsequent five T20Is on the tour of Australia, amassing 132 runs at a strike rate of 136.08 without a half-century. He produced scores of 4, 0 and 28 in three games of the just-concluded five-T20I against South Africa at home.
Pressure was mounting on Gill, especially with Sanju Samson warming the bench. As it turned out, the 26-year-old was dropped from the side, and Axar Patel was named the new vice-captain.
In the squad announcement presser, BCCI’s chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar offered explanation on Shubman Gill’s omission, citing that team balance outweighed individual considerations.
“There’s no doubt about Shubman’s quality. He may not have scored as many runs recently, but that doesn’t change how highly we rate him. He was also unlucky to miss out in the last World Cup when we opted for a different combination," Agarkar told reporters.
"Once again, this is more about team balance—specifically the idea of having two wicketkeepers at the top—than about individual ability,” he added.
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav echoed similar sentiments, stressing that the decision was driven by squad flexibility rather than form.
“It’s not about his form. It’s just about the combination. We wanted to have a keeper at the top. It’s not about his form. There’s no chatter about his quality. He is a terrific player,” Suryakumar said.
“We needed Rinku Singh. We have Washington Sundar also. So, we needed to be flexible to have multiple combinations. That’s why we have picked this squad. No question about Gill’s class,” he remarked.
India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad also sees the return of Ishan Kishan. The southpaw pipped Jitesh Sharma after leading Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title earlier this week, strengthening his case as a top-order option who also adds flexibility behind the stumps.
India will begin their T20 World Cup title defence on February 7 in Mumbai against the USA.
India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2026 and New Zealand series: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vc), Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan