Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh returned to India's T20I squad.
The Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selection committee on Saturday (December 20) announced India’s 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and five-match T20I series against New Zealand.
Shubman Gill’s snub was the biggest talking point as Axar Patel was named the vice-captain in his place. Additionally, Jitesh Sharma was left out of the T20 World Cup squad, with Ishan Kishan being slotted in as the second wicketkeeper-batter after his dominating performance in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Jharkhand.
Finisher Rinku Singh also returned to the Indian T20I side after being ignored for the recently concluded five-match series against South Africa.
Some of the decision made by selectors caught the fans, experts and former cricketers by surprise. Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik didn't see Gill and Jitesh being dropped from the side as well.
"India's World Cup T20 squad is announced, and guess what? Shubman Gill, the current vice-captain of the T20 team and incumbent opener, has been dropped not just from the eleven, but from the squad. And they wanted to bring in an extra opener, so they brought in Ishan Kishan and dropped Jitesh Sharma as well, and instead of Jitesh Sharma, it's going to be Rinku Singh," Karthik said in a video shared on his Instagram account.
"That is huge news, dropping Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma. I didn't see that coming. Just tells you there's a little bit of clarity lacking. They backed Shubman Gill for so long, and come the day when they picked the squad, they have let him go," he added.
While Karthik acknowledged that India have picked up a strong side for the tournament, he said a couple of areas of vulnerability will be lacking the presence of seasoned campaigners like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in a World Cup scenario and the form of Suryakumar Yadav.
"A couple of areas of vulnerability that India would have for the first time ever in a T20 World Cup. They will have no experience of the two greatest that's probably ever played, Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli in a World Cup team. And the second point would be Suryakumar Yadav's form, but we all know how good he is, that vulnerable aspect. Will it change into a strength if he finds form? It definitely will," he remarked.
Karthik sympathized with Gill and Jitesh before ending the video, calling it shocking omissions. "Well, let's just finish by saying. Shubman Gill I didn't see that coming, and I feel really bad for Jitesh Sharma. Two shocking omissions from this squad," he concluded.