Shubman Gill was the notable omission from India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad announced last month. He looked to be a sure-shot for the marquee event after his return to the format and being given vice-captaincy and the opener's role.
However, the 26-year-old struggled to make an impact with the bat, scoring 291 runs in 15 matches at an average of 24.25 and a strike-rate of 137.26.
As a result, Gill was axed from the side with Sanju Samson being restored as first-choice opener and Ishan Kishan selected as cover. Axar Patel was reinstated as India's vice-captain in T20Is.
Recently, former India cricketer Yograj Singh questioned the selectors’ decision to leave out Gill from the T20 World Cup lineup, accusing the Ajit Agarkar-led panel of failing to back the Punjab lad adequately.
Yograj also gave an example of Kapil Dev, arguing that the legendary all-rounder was once backed by Bishan Singh Bedi despite going through an extended lean patch, and that Gill deserved similar support from the team management and selectors.
“Shubman Gill is a vice-captain. What is the reason behind dropping him? Just because he failed in 4-5 innings? Indian cricketers have had so many players who have barely managed to perform in 10 matches out of 100 opportunities,” Yograj told Ravi Bisht on a YouTube show.
“They still played; you already know the reason why. Young Abhishek Sharma arrived a couple of years ago. If he fails four innings will you drop him as well?” he added.
Yograj, who has had fallout with Kapil in the past, brought the 1983 World Cup-winning skipper up for discussion.
“Let me give you an example of the ‘great’ Kapil Dev. When we toured Pakistan with Bishan Singh Bedi as captain, Kapil Dev continued to play matches despite failing with bat and ball. But Bishan Singh Bedi still took him on the subsequent tour of England,” he remarked.
While he has been sidelined from T20Is, Shubman Gill remains central to India’s plans in ODIs and is set to rejoin the squad for the three-match series against New Zealand, slated to start on January 11 in Baroda.
India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2026: 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
