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India T20 World Cup squad: The late call that left Shubman Gill out
Shubman Gill's T20 World Cup omission stemmed from a strategic selection puzzle, not a single incident. A toe injury, though minor, led to a cautious approach, while Sanju Samson's strong performances at the top of the order tilted the balance against Gill's inclusion.
Shubman Gill was dropped from India's T20 World Cup squad at the very last minute, according to a report of the Times of India. As per the report, just hours before the squad was finalised in Mumbai on Saturday, the India vice-captain was still with the team in Ahmedabad, nursing a toe injury that had put his availability for the fifth T20I against South Africa in doubt.
Times of India, quoting team sources, claimed that there was no fracture and Gill could have taken the field if required. The management, however, chose not to push him. "They also explored the option of an injection for the "minor niggle" but the decision-makers, keeping the New Zealand T20Is and T20 World Cup in mind, decided against it," the report claimed.
As per the TOI report, the call was made purely to avoid rushing Gill back. However, it claimed that the BCCI think-tank was exploring alternatives at the top of the order even before Gill got injured. When the squad reached Lucknow for the fourth T20I, there was a growing inclination to test Sanju Samson in a more prominent batting role. Gill's toe issue during net sessions created that opening, although the Lucknow game was eventually abandoned due to fog.
Ahmedabad offered another chance. Samson's quick 37 off 22 balls and a fluent 63-run opening stand with Abhishek Sharma proved influential. That performance did more than just keep Gill out of the playing XI—it tilted the balance against his inclusion in the final 15.
Gill had returned to the T20I setup during the Asia Cup in September, opening alongside Abhishek, a move that pushed Samson down the order. In the four innings he played during that phase, Samson batted at No. 3 only once and was otherwise slotted into the middle order, a role he has rarely occupied. It is understood that the wicketkeeper-batter communicated his discomfort to the team management and expressed a preference for a top-order role.
That clarity shaped subsequent decisions. Samson was tried at No. 3 against Australia at the MCG and then consistently opened for Kerala in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Two half-centuries and a couple of solid 40-plus scores served as a timely reminder of his form and suitability at the top.
Gill, on the other hand, did not receive extended backing amid this reshuffle. Unlike captain Suryakumar Yadav, who has been persisted with through a prolonged lean patch, Gill found himself squeezed out by a combination call—one that caught many by surprise.
It is also learnt that there was no detailed discussion with the ODI and Test captain in Ahmedabad. Gill was informed of his non-selection shortly before the selection meeting on Saturday.
A BCCI official confirmed that the opener was spoken to ahead of the announcement and that the rationale was explained. The decision, the official said, came down to finding the best possible balance for a World Cup campaign.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar echoed that view, stressing that the choice had little to do with individual ability. According to Agarkar, the management was clear about the kind of top-order combination it wanted, with Abhishek's recent impact and the added flexibility of a wicketkeeper opening the innings playing key roles. With only 15 spots available, someone had to miss out.
Suryakumar reinforced the same message. He dismissed suggestions that Gill's form influenced the call, saying the team wanted a wicketkeeper-batter at the top to allow more tactical options later in the XI, including players like Rinku Singh and Washington Sundar.
Once Gill was left out and Samson reinstated as a top-order option, accommodating Jitesh Sharma became difficult. That, in turn, pushed the selectors to look at an in-form Ishan Kishan, whose strong Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy run revived his international prospects after he had been out of contention just a week earlier.
From the outside, the outcome suits multiple stakeholders. Suryakumar leads without a high-profile vice-captain alongside him, Agarkar rewards domestic performances, and head coach Gautam Gambhir avoids accusations of favouritism.
India's squad for the New Zealand T20Is and the 2026 T20 World Cup: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), 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 (wk).
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Source: EconomicTimes
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