T20 World Cup 2026: Why was Shubman Gill dropped? Agarkar answers
The BCCI's announcement of India's 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 shocked fans, notably with the omission of star opener Shubman Gill.
Last Updated: 04.45 PM, Dec 20, 2025
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the cricketing fraternity, the BCCI on Saturday announced India’s 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. The most glaring omission from the roster was star opener Shubman Gill, who, until recently, was considered the cornerstone of India’s future leadership and the primary opening partner for Abhishek Sharma.
The decision is particularly striking given Gill’s status as India’s current Test and ODI captain. Just months ago, he was elevated to the vice-captaincy of the T20I side, signalling a "successor-in-waiting" status. However, as Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar addressed the media at the BCCI headquarters, he made it clear that "reputations do not guarantee spots" when World Cup glory is on the line.
"It's about combinations, not quality"
During the press conference, Agarkar was immediately grilled on the rationale behind dropping a player of Gill’s pedigree. The chairman of selectors was transparent, citing a dip in form and a strategic shift in team composition.
"There is no doubt about Shubman's quality. He is a world-class player and remains vital to our plans in other formats," Agarkar stated. "But for this T20 World Cup, we felt we needed a different balance. We wanted to have a wicketkeeper who can bat at the top of the order to give us more flexibility in the middle."
Agarkar pointed to Gill's recent T20I returns as a factor. In his last 15 innings, Gill managed 291 runs at an average of 24.25, with a strike rate of 137, numbers that were overshadowed by the explosive emergence of Abhishek Sharma and the resurgence of Ishan Kishan.
The "keeper-opener" strategy
The selection committee’s decision to bring back Ishan Kishan and retain Sanju Samson as the primary gloveman reveals a tactical shift. By picking two keepers who can bat in the top three, India has freed up a spot for a specialist finisher in Rinku Singh.
"We wanted to try having two keepers at the top," Agarkar explained. "If your keeper is batting at the top, it allows us to play an extra bowling option or a deep finisher like Rinku. Unfortunately, someone had to miss out, and at this point, it was Shubman."
Leadership reshuffle
With Gill’s exit, the vice-captaincy has been handed to the veteran all-rounder Axar Patel. Agarkar noted that Axar’s seniority and consistent "clutch" performances made him the natural choice to deputy for Suryakumar Yadav.
India’s 15-Member Squad for T20 World Cup 2026:
Batters | Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh
Wicketkeepers | Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan
All-rounders | Axar Patel (VC), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar
Bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy
A hard pill to swallow
The exclusion marks the second consecutive T20 World Cup that Gill will miss, having been left out of the 2024 winning campaign in the USA and West Indies. While an impact injury to his right foot during the South Africa series likely hampered his final chance to find form, the selectors were clear that the decision was primarily tactical.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav echoed Agarkar’s sentiments, noting that while the team will miss Gill’s presence, the focus is on "winning combinations." As India prepares to co-host the tournament starting February 7, all eyes will be on whether this bold gamble to prioritise aggressive "keeper-openers" over traditional anchors pays off.