Former India cricketer Yograj Singh has criticized the decision to leave Shubman Gill out of the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 in February-March. The former all-rounder stated that a short run of poor scores should not outweigh a player’s standing, leadership role, or long-term importance to the team.
Gill’s omission from India’s T20 World Cup squad caught many by surprise. He was named vice-captain during the Asia Cup after returning to the T20I setup. India reshuffled their top order and split the opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. However, the change did not pay off for the Men in Blue.
Yograj Singh Opens Up On Shubman Gill’s Omission From T20 World Cup 2026
Yograj Singh said that the selectors excluded Gill despite his vice-captaincy, adding that many players in the past were given long runs despite repeated failures. He used Abhishek Sharma as an example, questioning whether youngsters would also be dropped after just a few poor outings.
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“Shubman Gill is a vice-captain. What is the reason behind dropping him? Just because he failed in 4-5 innings? Indian cricketers have had so many players who have barely managed to perform in 10 matches out of 100 opportunities,” Yograj told Ravi Bisht on a YouTube show.
“They still played; you already know the reason why. Young Abhishek Sharma arrived a couple of years ago. If he fails four innings will you drop him as well?” he added.
Let Me Give You An Example Of The ‘Great’ Kapil Dev – Yograj Singh
Yograj Singh referred to past selection decisions involving Kapil Dev. He recalled an instance from an overseas tour when Kapil continued to be backed despite repeated failures. Yograj added that then-captain Bishan Singh Bedi still showed faith in Kapil by picking him for the next tour.
“Let me give you an example of the ‘great’ Kapil Dev. When we toured Pakistan with Bishan Singh Bedi as captain, Kapil Dev continued to play matches despite failing with bat and ball. But Bishan Singh Bedi still took him on the subsequent tour of England,” Yograj stated.
Shubman Gill’s T20I Struggles Ahead of T20 World Cup 2026
Shubman Gill struggled in T20Is after returning to the national side. He scored 291 runs in 15 T20I matches at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26. He did not score a single half-century, which raised concerns about his impact in the shortest format.
As Gill failed to find consistency, India kept changing their T20I combination. Sanju Samson was first pushed down the batting order and later dropped from the team as selectors searched for the right balance.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed that the decision was based on team combination needs and not because Gill lacked quality. India then brought back Ishan Kishan, rewarding him for his strong domestic form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Kishan replaced Gill in the T20 World Cup squad.
Despite this setback in T20Is, Gill remains a key figure for India. He continues as captain in ODIs and Tests, will play two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches for Punjab in Jaipur, and is set to lead India in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand starting on January 11.
Also read: Shubman Gill set to play for Punjab after his T20 World Cup 2026 snub
