Former India batsman Robin Uthappa made a big statement on the exclusion of opener Shubman Gill from the Indian team for the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2026. Uthappa said T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, who has been going through a rough patch, played a role in Gill’s exclusion for the marquee tournament.
Suryakumar’s form has declined in the last two seasons. In 2025, the 35-year-old scored 219 runs in 21 matches at an average of just 13.62 and a strike rate of 123.16. However, the Men in Blue have won 16 of their 19 completed matches in this calendar year. Notably, he averaged below 27 in 18 T20Is during the last year.
Suryakumar Yadav is not scoring runs – Robin Uthappa on Shubman Gill snub
Speaking during a live session on his YouTube channel, Robin Uthappa said that teams cannot include too many out-of-form players in ICC tournaments. Uthappa said that Suryakumar Yadav was already performing poorly, so the team management dropped Shubman Gill from the team.
“With World Cup teams, you can take a player who is not in great form; you can’t take more than that. Maybe that’s why (he has been dropped because SKY is not scoring runs),” Uthappa said.
Shubman Gill served as India’s vice-captain during the Asia Cup 2025 and subsequent T20 series. He scored only 32 runs during the recently concluded five-match home T20 series against South Africa. He missed the final match after getting injured.
I am not saying that Shubman Gill deserved to be there – Robin Uthappa
Uthappa said that considering Shubman Gill’s current struggles, his mistake is understandable. He said that Gill did not look settled at the crease and struggled to deliver quality bowling and disciplined spells.
“That’s not what I’m saying [Shubman Gill] Given his current form and the fact that he doesn’t look to be in good shape, he deserves to be there. You can see his eyes. When you look at him, it seems like there is a lot of confusion, even when he is batting. He is getting some good balls. “Lungi bowled really well throughout the series and troubled Shubman when he played,” Uthappa said.
I was shocked – Robin Uthappa reacts on Team India’s World Cup squad
Robin Uthappa admitted that he was surprised but pleased with the overall selection. He described the team as strong and balanced to defend the title. Uthappa also said that the selection should be judged by clarity of approach and fairness.
“I was shocked. I had just come back home, and was just spending time with the kids, and I was tired because I had traveled late at night. I took a nap, and I woke up, looked at my phone, and I was like, What? I was really happy. I think they’ve really picked a solid side. But I think the way they’ve gone about it, and to me, it’s not letting people down; it’s about how you make these decisions. Are,” Uthappa said.
In 2025, Gill scored 291 runs in 15 T20I matches at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26. He was not the only omission, wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma also missed out on selection. Rinku Singh and Ishan Kishan returned to the Indian team for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Also read: Shubman Gill’s journey in domestic cricket begins after the defeat in the T20 World Cup; Next move revealed
