The Indian selectors surprised everyone by dropping Shubman Gill from the T20I squad for both the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 and the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand. However, Suryakumar Yadav was retained as captain despite his poor form with the bat.
It’s been two days since the team was announced; The shocking decision continues to make headlines because Shubman Gill is not just another player in the setup. The Punjab player is currently India’s Test and ODI captain, and was the vice-captain in T20I cricket before being shown the door by the selectors.
Suryakumar Yadav-led India shock Shubman Gill by leaving him out of T20I setup
However, Gill was under scrutiny in the T20Is as his numbers were below expectations, and the team management felt that his presence at the top was troubling the well-established opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson.
Also Read: BCCI wanted Shubman Gill to be India’s Virat Kohli in T20Is, but he was dropped due to batting failure
Despite this, many expected Gill to be selected due to his stature and long-term leadership role. Instead, the national selectors chose to be ruthless and focus solely on what they felt would give India the best chance of defending the T20 World Cup title on home soil.
It is being said that this thinking within the Indian camp reportedly started during the recent five-match T20 series against South Africa at home. After the rain-affected match in Lucknow, a strong effort was made to bring Samson back into the opening role and bring Rinku Singh back into the middle order. Even Suryakumar Yadav cited the team combination to rule out Gill.
Denying Shubman Gill from ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is a difficult but necessary decision
Around the same time, Gill injured his toe during a practice session, further complicating his condition. By the time the team was finalized, the management felt that their plans with Gill were no longer working and changes were needed immediately rather than later.
The call for Gill’s ouster has received a largely positive response, as it sends a clear message that no player is bigger than the team. Form and balance have been prioritized, even if it means leaving out a player who is seen as a future leader across all formats. This call also proved that reputation will not protect anyone when ICC trophies are at stake.
Sources close to the development were quoted by IANS as saying, “Excluding Gill was a difficult but necessary decision. It was taken in the interest of the team. The people in charge of the T20I team realized some time ago that their plan with Gill was not working. It was about then that they made the change, and this correction was made on the day of team selection.”
Also read: Will Rohit Sharma announce ODI retirement soon? India the Great finally opened up about the future
Why does Suryakumar Yadav remain India’s T20 captain despite poor form?
Interestingly, India T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav is also struggling for runs, but the selectors decided against any leadership change, as the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is just a few months away.
Notably, Suryakumar Yadav scored only 244 runs in his last 22 innings, without scoring a single half-century. But sources said contempt of the Captain was never discussed.
Sources further shared, “No one will remove the captain in the World Cup selection meeting. It would be a foolish scene.”
However, Suryakumar Yadav needs to play five T20Is against New Zealand to regain form and lead the team from further in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.
