"I was expecting Jaiswal to be in" - Ex-Indian cricketer's huge statement on Shubman Gill's replacement in T20 World Cup 2026 squad

Ex-India opener Sadagopan Ramesh made a huge statement regarding Shubman Gill's replacement in the Men in Blue's T20 World Cup 2026 squad. Ramesh expected Yashasvi Jaiswal to be drafted in when he heard the news of Gill's omission.

Jaiswal has promising T20I numbers in his 23 outings, with 723 runs at 36.15 alongside a strike rate of 164.13 with one century and five half-centuries. Nevertheless, the success of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson at the top meant the left-hander hasn't played T20I cricket consistently. The 23-year-old's last T20I was in July 2024.

Speaking in the video uploaded on Instagram, the 50-year-old said he expected Jaiswal to be in the squad but backed the selectors' decision to recall Ishan Kishan as the second keeper, given Jitesh Sharma was left out.

"Axar Patel has returned as vice-captain. Ajit Agarkar had revealed that Axar was the vice-captain before Gill had taken up that role. I had also mentioned that Gill doesn’t fit in the T20 side and it should be Yashasvi Jaiswal instead. When I saw Gill was dropped, I was expecting Jaiswal to be in. But there’s a twist – Jitesh Sharma was dropped. Since India needed another keeper, they brought in Ishan Kishan, who has taken domestic cricket by storm. Slot-wise it's a correct decision."

Ishan, who captained Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title, also finished as the leading run-getter of the tournament. The southpaw mustered 517 runs in ten innings, averaging a healthy 57.44.

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"They have been the successful pair for India in T20I cricket" - Sadagopan Ramesh on Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson

Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. (Credits: Getty)

Ramesh suggested that he expects Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson to play fearlessly, given they are confirmed to open during the T20 World Cup. He added:

"Since Jitesh Sharma found himself out of the side, it opened the door for Rinku Singh. Selectors have taken the correct decision by opting for Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as the opening pair because they have been the successful pair for India in T20I cricket. Since they will go with the mindset of opening the innings leading up to the T20 World Cup, I expect them to thrive."

Defending champions India won their second title in 2024 by beating South Africa in the final.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava