Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Dec 20: The national selection committee on Saturday left out out-of-form vice-captain Shubman Gill from the 15-member Indian squad for the home T20 World Cup 2026, with chief selector Ajit Agarkar citing the batter’s lack of runs as the primary reason behind the decision.
The squad will be led by Suryakumar Yadav, with Axar Patel named as vice-captain. The selection also marked the return of in-form Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh, while Gill was not only removed from the vice-captaincy but dropped from the squad altogether.
“Obviously, he (Gill) has been short of runs and since he wasn’t picked, we needed a vice-captain,” Agarkar said while addressing the media.
Elaborating further, Agarkar added, “Shubman Gill is short of runs at the moment and missed the last World Cup too.” However, he stressed that Gill’s omission should not be seen as a reflection of his quality. “We still believe he is a quality player. Form goes up and down. Sometimes selections are about combinations and someone has to miss out. Fortunately, Indian cricket has plenty of options,” he said.
The selectors opted for Sanju Samson as the first-choice wicketkeeper, with Ishan Kishan selected as the second keeper and reserve opener. Kishan, who last played a T20I more than two years ago, edged out Jitesh Sharma for the spot.
Explaining Samson’s selection, Agarkar said, “When Sanju and Tilak made those hundreds in South Africa last year, the Test team was in Australia. You saw Sanju opening recently, which shows the thinking behind picking a second wicketkeeper at the top.”
Rinku Singh, part of India’s Asia Cup-winning squad, returned as the designated finisher, replacing Jitesh Sharma. Washington Sundar was also included in the squad.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav said the team management has settled on a clear batting order. “Left-right combinations are a bit overrated. We have fixed number three for Tilak and number four for myself. We want Tilak to be clear and comfortable about his role,” he said.
Agarkar also addressed the omission of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was part of the previous World Cup squad. “We always ask if anyone is compromised. A quality player has come in. Hopefully, we get it right when the World Cup arrives,” he said.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed that there will be no standby players for the T20 World Cup 2026 and the home T20I series against New Zealand.
Reacting to Gill’s omission, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar termed the decision surprising. “Shubman Gill is a class act. He struggled for a few matches, but class tells in the end. He was coming back after a long lay-off and wasn’t in rhythm. I hope he takes it in the right spirit,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
India have named the same squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 and the T20I series against New Zealand.
India’s squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Axar Patel (vice-captain), Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.