It’s already been more than 24 hours since BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia announced India’s squad for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, reaffirming Axar Patel as the side’s vice-captain. This move also confirmed Shubman Gill’s removal from the T20I team, with less than 50 days to go before the mega event begins.
Gill’s omission capped weeks of speculation regarding his return, which seemed to unsettle the established opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. Despite scoring just 291 runs in 15 innings at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26, many believed Gill’s spot in the squad was secure until the surprising decision was made.
Multiple sources familiar with the situation indicated that the choice to exclude Gill, who was expected to be India’s all-format leader, was ‘tough, but necessary’ for the team’s ambitions in a competition where the Suryakumar Yadav-led side enters as defending champions.
“Leaving out Gill was a tough but necessary decision. It was taken in the interest of the team. The management had realized that their strategy with Gill in it wasn’t working. The question was about when to make a change, and this course correction occurred on selection day,” the sources elaborated.
It is also understood that there was a strong sentiment within the team’s think tank to reinstate Samson in the opening slot and bring back Rinku Singh following a T20I against South Africa in Lucknow, a day after Gill sustained a toe injury while batting in practice.
The decision to drop Gill, who now misses out on participating in the T20 World Cup, has received a largely positive response, but it sends a clear message: no player is exempt from poor performance, and those in charge will favor combinations believed to offer the best chance of winning a global trophy.
Like Gill, captain Suryakumar Yadav has faced a lean patch, having scored only 244 runs in his last 22 innings, without hitting a single fifty. However, sources confirmed that changing a captain so close to the mega event was never considered. “Nobody was going to drop a captain in a World Cup selection meeting. That would have made for a foolish look,” the sources stated.
More than a day later, the announcement of Patel’s elevation as vice-captain and Gill’s exclusion continues to draw attention. It’s important to note that in the last three ICC men’s events, India lost just one game, clinching two titles – the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy. As the 2026 tournament approaches, all eyes will be on how Yadav and his team plan to defend their T20 World Cup title.