Ex-India Star's Blunt View On Shubman Gill's T20 World Cup Snub: "Selectors Rectifying A Mistake They Made"
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors on Saturday announced a 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2026.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors on Saturday announced a 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2026. What hogged the limelight was the snub of out-of-form batter Shubman Gill. He had a lean patch after being brought into the T20I team as vice-captain ahead of the Asia Cup this year. Gill played 15 innings and scored 291 runs at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137-plus. His poor form led to the selectors dropping him while naming players for the T20 showpiece next year.
Gill had come into India's T20I team this year when everything was going right in the side, if not perfect. He turned out to be the top scorer in the England Test series, and impressed by it, the selectors decided to call him into the T20I set-up. The player thus made a return to the T20I format after a gap of more than a year and replaced Sanju Samson in the opening slot. The fact that Samson was dropped despite impressive performances at the position drew widespread criticism.
Now, the selectors have taken a U-turn as Samson opened the innings for India in their most recent match in Gill's absence.
Reacting to Gill's snub, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar said that the selectors have rectified their mistake.
"When you pick some one excitedly on Test performance for T20s, this is what happens. Gill omission is basically selectors rectifying a mistake they made when they got a bit carried away after the England tour," he wrote on X.
When you pick some one excitedly on Test performance for T20s, this is what happens. Gill omission is basically selectors rectifying a mistake they made when they got a bit carried away after the England tour. #T20WorldCup
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) December 20, 2025
In his first assignment as India captain, Gill emerged as the leading run-scorer in the five-match series against England with 754 runs.
He smashed four centuries, including a double ton at 75.40 to break legendary Sunil Gavaskar's record (732) for the highest run tally for an Indian captain in a five-Test series.
Due to his impressive performance, Gill was roped into the T20I team of India, being named the vice-captain. It seemed that the selectors were looking at him as a future leader in that format as well. But in a drastic change, Gill is out of the team, leaving the selectors to explore other options to succeed Suryakumar Yadav in furture.
India Cricket Team