In a significant overhaul of India’s T20 team and management, BCCI has officially left out Shubman Gill from the 15-member team for the 2026 T20 World Cup. The decision was clarified by Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar and Captain Suryakumar Yadav. It also brings about the elevation of Axar Patel to vice-captaincy while recently holding that position, Gill is completely left out.
The Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav, while speaking to the press at the BCCI headquarters, was very prompt to brush aside the speculations about Shubman Gill’s technical skills. He explained that the dropping was a strategy that would increase the flexibility of the middle-order.
SKY Clarifies Gill’s Omission
“It’s not about his form; it’s about the combination. We wanted a wicketkeeper-batter at the top and felt the need to strengthen the middle order with impact players like Rinku Singh and Washington Sundar,” Yadav explained.
He went on to say that there was “no chatter about his quality,” and he called Gill a “terrific player” who had to bear the brunt of the particular balance needed for the forthcoming tournament.
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Agarkar explains tough call of leaving out Gill
Ajit Agarkar, who is the chief selector, said choosing the 15-player squad ranked among his toughest calls due to deep talent. Though praising Shubman Gill as top-tier, he stressed shifting toward a bolder T20 approach – driven by Ishan Kishan’s emergence. Moreover, Gill’s form played a role; he hasn’t scored fifty in ten straight T20Is.
India’s squad for T20 World Cup
Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan, Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana
