Former India cricketer Yograj Singh has criticized the decision to drop Shubman Gill from the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 in February-March. The former all-rounder said a short-term bad score should not affect a player’s position, leadership role or long-term importance to the team.
Gill’s absence from India’s T20 World Cup squad took many by surprise. He was named vice-captain during the Asia Cup following his return to the T20I setup. India reshuffled their top order and split the opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. However, this change did not benefit the Men in Blue.
Yograj Singh speaks openly on Shubman Gill’s exclusion from T20 World Cup 2026
Yograj Singh said the selectors left out Gill despite being vice-captaincy, adding that many players in the past were given a chance for a longer period of time despite repeated failure. Using Abhishek Sharma as an example, he asked whether youngsters would also be dropped after a few poor performances.
Yograj told Ravi Bisht in a YouTube show, “Shubman Gill is the vice-captain. What is the reason behind removing him? Just because he failed in 4-5 innings? There are many players among Indian cricketers who have been able to perform well in hardly 10 matches out of 100 chances.”
“He still played; you already know the reason. Young Abhishek Sharma came in a few years ago. If he fails in four innings will you drop him too?” He added.
Let me give you an example of the ‘great’ Kapil Dev – Yograj Singh
Yograj Singh cited previous selection decisions related to Kapil Dev. He recalled an example from an overseas tour when Kapil continued to be supported despite continuous setbacks. Yograj said that the then captain Bishan Singh Bedi still showed confidence in Kapil by selecting him for the next tour.
Yograj said, “Let me give you an example of the ‘great’ Kapil Dev. When we toured Pakistan with Bishan Singh Bedi as captain, Kapil Dev continued to play matches despite failing with bat and ball. But Bishan Singh Bedi still took him on the subsequent tour of England.”
Shubman Gill’s T20I struggle ahead of T20 World Cup 2026
Shubman Gill struggled in T20Is after returning to the national team. He scored 291 runs in 15 T20I matches at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26. He did not score a single half-century, raising concerns about his impact in the shortest format.
As Gill failed to find consistency, India continued to change their T20I combination. Sanju Samson was first pushed down the batting order and later dropped from the team as the selectors looked for the right balance.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed that the decision was based on the needs of the team combination and not because Gill lacked quality. India then brought back Ishan Kishan in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as a reward for his strong domestic form. Kishan replaced Gill in the T20 World Cup squad.
Despite this setback in the T20Is, Gill remains a key figure for India. He will remain captain in ODIs and Tests, play two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches for Punjab in Jaipur and is set to lead India in a three-match ODI series against New Zealand starting January 11.
Also read: Shubman Gill ready to play for Punjab after being left out of T20 World Cup 2026 squad
