Ajit Agarkar revealed that Shubman Gill missed out on the T20 World Cup squad because the selectors focused on team combinations and specific batting roles.
India’s T20 World Cup squad announcement delivered a major surprise as Shubman Gill was dropped, while Ishan Kishan replaced Jitesh Sharma. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained that team balance and batting roles were the primary factors driving the decision.
The management preferred wicketkeepers who could open the innings, which influenced the final combination. Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma’s strong performances in South Africa also shaped the selection thinking.
READ ALSO | India Drop Shubman Gill from T20 World Cup 2026 Squad, Ishan Kishan Returns
“Shubman was the vice-captain, but he’s not in the team. Axar was the vice-captain when the T20s used to clash. About continuity, you’re looking at combinations. If your keeper is going to bat at the top, you want a keeper who can play there. Jitesh was there, Shubman is a quality player, and unfortunate to miss out. Combinations, more than anything else, two keepers at the top. Rinku comes, who gives that lower middle order option,” Agarkar said.
“When someone’s playing Tests and not playing T20s, you can’t say it’s for combinations. When Sanju and Tilak made those 100s in South Africa last year, the Test team was in Australia. You saw Sanju opening last night, and that tells you what the thinking is. With picking a second wicketkeeper for the top,” he added.
AJIT AGARKAR TALKS ABOUT DROPPING SHUBMAN GILL. 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/2z95lBMqzc
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 20, 2025
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav added that squad rotation remained normal across bilateral series, with returning players earning chances based on form and role clarity. He added that the team now has two or three ready combinations.
“In any team sport you play, like all the bilaterals we’ve played, 2-3 players come and go. When the players came back, they get the opportunities. We are happy as we are right now. With the squad we have right now, we have 2-3 combinations ready. So happy with what we have right now,” he said.
India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026
Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel (Vice-captain), Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar
This article follows WicketWatcher’s editorial standards. Learn more in our Editorial Policy or report an issue via our Corrections Policy.