Shubman Gill was excluded from India's T20 World Cup 2026 squad due to team combinations and his recent lack of runs. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar cited balance needs, while skipper Suryakumar Yadav clarified it was a tactical call, not about form.
Team India ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill was not included in the T20 World Cup 2026 squad, which was officially announced on Saturday, December 20. The BCCI secretary, Devajit Saikia, named India’s 15-member squad for the marquee event at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.
BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar and India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav were also present at the press conference, where they interacted with the media. The selectors retained most players from the recent T20I series against Australia and South Africa, with a few inclusions, notably Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh, while Jitesh Sharma was dropped from the squad.
However, Shubman Gill’s exclusion came as a surprise, given that he was the T20I vice-captain, though he had been struggling for runs since his return to the T20I setup during the Asia Cup 2025. In the recently concluded T20I series against South Africa, Gill had a forgettable outing, amassing 32 runs at an average of 10.67 in three matches before he was ruled out of the series decider in Ahmedabad due to a foot injury.
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Why was Shubman Gill excluded from the World Cup Squad?
It was evident that Shubman Gill has been struggling for runs in T20Is since his return during the Asia Cup 2025. However, the 26-year-old was touted as the next-in-line to take over the T20I captaincy from Suryakumar Yadav, as he is already leading Team India in the Tests and ODIs.
Speaking to the media at the press conference, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated that the lack of runs and combinations were the factors behind Shubman Gill’s exclusion from the India squad.
“We know what a quality player he is, but, perhaps short of a little bit of runs at the moment," Agarkar said.
“It’s unfortunate to have missed out in the last World Cup as well because we went with different combinations. But it’s the combinations more than anything else. Someone has to miss out when you pick 15, and unfortunately, it’s Gill at this point," he added.
Since his return to the T20I setup as a vice-captain, Shubman Gill has aggregated 291 runs at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26 in 15 matches, numbers that failed to justify his selection ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026.
No Questions on Shubman Gill’s Form
Adding to BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s statement on Shubman Gill’s exclusion from the India squad for the T20 World Cup, T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav highlighted the need for team balance and role clarity, stressing that Gill’s omission was not due to a lack of form but tactical combinations.
“Post T20 World Cup (2024), we went to Sri Lanka, and we had scored 200, and Gill was part of it. We wanted to have a keeper at the top and Rinku or Washy (down the order), which is why we have an extra keeper at the top. There is no question of (Gill’s) form,” Suryakumar told the media at the press conference.
Shubman Gill was also not included in the T20I Series against New Zealand, which will take place in January next year. After being excluded from India squads for the New Zealand T20I series and T20 World Cup, Gill will only feature in the ODI leg of the home series against New Zealand, which will start on January 11.
With Gill excluded from the India squad, Axar Patel has been reinstated as the vice–captain for the T20I series against New Zealand and the marquee event.
