Shubman Gill is India’s captain in Tests and ODIs and was vice-captain in T20Is until the India vs South Africa series.
In what came as a shock, the BCCI left Shubman Gill out of the squads for the India v New Zealand T20Is and for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Instead, Ishan Kishan was a shocking inclusion, buoyed by his superlative performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT).
While Shubman Gill was initially forced into the T20I setup and his form did not inspire confidence either. However, many expected Ajit Agarkar to name the same team that played against South Africa. This did not happen as India included Rinku Singh and Ishan Kishan. Meanwhile, finisher Jitesh Sharma also misfired.
Why is Shubman Gill abandoned?
Gill’s omission is by far the biggest headline in Ajit Agarkar’s selection call. Gill’s return to the Indian T20I setup after the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli was aimed at bringing stability at the top. Instead, things went the other way. Since being reinstated as an opener and vice-captain in 2025, Gill has not scored a single half-century in 15 T20I innings. His average fell below 25 and his strike rate failed to get above 140, numbers that simply don’t fit in with modern T20 cricket.
What hurt Gill even more was the loss of an opening partnership. While Abhishek Sharma continued to deliver explosive starts, Gill struggled to complement him, something Sanju Samson had done effectively during his stint as an opener. Despite a prolific IPL 2025, where Gill averaged close to 50 with a strike rate above 155, this mastery never crept onto the international T20 scene.
If Gill’s numbers closed one door, Ishan Kishan’s domestic form blew another wide open. Kishan has been exceptional in the SMAT, leading Jharkhand to their first title while scoring 517 runs with a strike rate close to 200 and an average close to 58. He also brings flexibility, slotting in as a third-choice opener and second wicketkeeper.
But our thoughts also go to Jitesh Sharma, who played no role as he was given the role of finisher.
Indian T20 World Cup 2026 Team & IND vs NZ T20I
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (week), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (week)
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Cricket India squad for T20 World Cup 2026: Shubman Gill dropped as vice-captain, Ishan Kishan makes comeback
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