Who said what - top 5 expert reactions on Shubman Gill's omission from India's 2026 T20 World Cup squad ft. Sunil Gavaskar 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) dropped vice-captain Shubman Gill from their 15-member India squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup on Saturday, December 20. All-rounder Axar Patel has replaced him as Suryakumar Yadav’s new deputy for the ICC event.

Ishan Kishan has been picked as India’s backup opener for Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma following his heroics in the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). Meanwhile, Rinku Singh returned to the side after being ignored in the T20I series against South Africa. They are also part of the five-match home T20I series against New Zealand in January.

At the press conference, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that Gill didn’t fit in their playing combination for the T20 tournament:

“We know what a quality player he (Shubman Gill) is, perhaps short of a little bit of runs at the moment, unfortunate to miss out, he missed out in the last World Cup as well. It is combinations more than anything else. Two keepers at the top, that is the way we want to try. Someone has to miss out when you pick 15, and unfortunately, it is Gill at this point. It is not because he is not a good player.”

India captain Suryakumar Yadav reiterated the same idea behind Gill’s ouster from the ICC event. The 35-year-old said in the same press conference:

“Gill is a terrific player, there is no doubt about that. But now the situation is such that we need a keeper to bat up the order to have different combinations that can win us the World Cup.”

Notably, Gill scored 291 runs in 15 T20Is at a strike rate of 137.26 in 2025 with a best score of 47.

Several former Indian cricketers came up with contrasting reactions after Shubman Gill's axe from the 2026 T20 World Cup. Take a look:

Shubman Gill failed to score a T20I fifty in 2025. Source: Getty

Sunil Gavaskar

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar expressed his surprise as the selectors axed Shubman Gill for the 2026 T20 World Cup. The cricketer-turned-commentator stressed that ‘form is temporary and class is permanent.’ Speaking to Star Sports, Gavaskar said (via NDTV):

“It is a surprise. He (Gill) is a classic, quality batter who had a fabulous season post the 2024 T20 World Cup. Yes, he struggled in a few matches against South Africa. But class is permanent, and form is temporary.”

He continued:

“He was also coming back after a long break and was out of rhythm. When you are not in rhythm in T20 cricket, where you have to attack from the start, it is hard. His natural game is more for Test cricket, playing along the ground. The shots needed in T20 do not come as easily to him.” “He is a very good player. We have seen that in the IPL, so T20 is not new to him. Maybe just that lack of form and touch went against him,” he added.

Harbhajan Singh

Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh shared a similar opinion on Shubman Gill as Sunil Gavaskar. While stressing that class is permanent, the cricketer-turned-analyst noted that this was not the end of Gill in T20Is. The legendary spinner told Star Sports (via ESPNcricinfo):

“See, the form is a temporary thing, but the class is permanent. And he is a class player, Shubman Gill. There is no doubt about it. He didn’t play the last game [against South Africa]. The ouster’s reason is also that he didn’t score in the last 2-3 games, but it doesn’t make him a lesser player. I think we know the quality player is Shubman Gill.” “Whether it's Tests, ODI, or T20 format. Regardless of the format, I think he is a quality player. Wherever he plays, he looks far above the rest. This is definitely not the end of the road for Shubman Gill. I am sure things like this do feel like a setback, but you do feel he would have been made aware,” he added.

Aakash Chopra

Former India opener Aakash Chopra said that dropping Shubman Gill from the squad was a massive call by the team management. The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the experiment with Gill as vice-captain and opener failed, which is not a good sign for Indian cricket. He concluded that the experiment robbed Sanju Samson of his chances to continue as an opener.

In a video posted on X, Chopra said (via Indian Express):

“Shubman Gill’s name isn’t in the team. Axar Patel is the vice-captain. The Shubman Gill experiment as a vice captain, as an opener, started in the Asia Cup, and it’s over before the end of the year. Massive news in regards to Gill. India were looking for a 3-format captain, but he couldn’t solidify his place in one format. He missed out on the 2024 World Cup, and he’s missed out again in 2026. This is not a good sign. His 2025 was pretty good, but towards the end, it’s shocking news that has come in.” “Dropping Gill is not just a call made on the basis of his recent form…it’s about the change in ideology India adopted at the start of the Asia Cup. The thought was that in multi-nation tournaments, you don’t need to score 200+ all the time…you need an anchor in big games. That thought robbed Sanju of opportunities at the top and also, Yashasvi to be around the team,” he added.

R Ashwin

Former spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said that the Indian team management provided Shubman Gill with proper backing, but the latter failed to justify his place, which led to his axing. With Gill getting injured (right-foot injury), he concluded that Sanju Samson opening the innings at the 2026 T20 World Cup was written in the stars. He said on his YouTube channel:

“When Sanju Samson came into the team, he scored three centuries. He did not make a lot of other big scores, just a few half-centuries and a couple of 20s, which is also how Sanju operates. But his strike rate is around 190, which is solid, and in comparison to what Shubman provides, this is why they went to Sanju.

He continued:

"In this particular phase, where Shubman Gill missed out, Sanju really excelled. That’s why the way Shubman missed out, he still got almost a year of backing and opportunity as vice-captain. Now the time has come, the World Cup is around the corner, and the team said, Okay, we want to go back to the person who gave us rocking starts.” “Shubman got injured, and he went out of the series. That’s when it became clear that it was going to be Sanju at the World Cup. There’s no rocket science to this. I have been playing for Indian cricket for 15-20 years, and I have seen a lot of this myself. Then Shubman got injured and went out of the series, and when Sanju came into the XI, it wasn’t just a decision made easily; it was also something almost cosmic. There are some things that are bound to happen,” Ashwin added.

Dinesh Kartik

Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Kartik slammed the team management for their change of plans at the last minute ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. Questioning why they dropped Shubman Gill after backing him for a long time, the 40-year-old said on Instagram:

“The big news of the day. India's World Cup T20 squad is announced, and guess what? Shubman Gill, the current vice-captain of the T20 team, incumbent opener, has been dropped. Not just from the XI, but from the squad.” “That is huge news, dropping Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma. I didn't see that coming. Just tells you there's a little bit of clarity lacking. They've backed Shubman Gill for so long, and come the day when they pick the squad, they have let him go,” he added.

The two-time champions, India, will begin their 2026 T20 World Cup campaign against the USA on February 7. They are placed alongside Pakistan, the Netherlands, and Namibia in group A.

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Edited by James Kuanal