The omission of Shubman Gill is no less than a mystery for many Indian cricket fans, as he was the vice-captain of India's T20I squad during the India vs South Africa series, and he had been positioned as the next big thing in Indian cricket.

Gill, still the captain of the Test and ODI teams, suddenly found himself out of the T20 World Cup 2026 squad. After the squad announcement, there are multiple theories on social media platforms regarding the snub of Shubman Gill. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, a shocking claim has emerged.

During a group discussion on a social media platform, it was claimed that it was the chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, who pushed the top-order batter into the T20I squad. Did Agarkar and Gill gain the support from the captain, Suryakumar Yadav? As of now, there is no confirmation regarding this. The unconvincing batting of Gill in this particular format could be a reason behind his exclusion ahead of the ICC's elite tournament.

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Ajit Agarkar pushed Shubman Gill into T20I team? Watch the discussion

Surya never wantes Shubman Gill in the T20i team. Gill was forced into the team by Ajit Agarkar. Surya always wanted Sanju to Open. You can see how he replied to press before asia cup and after 5th T20i against South Africa - TOI Sports pic.twitter.com/TyhlOzkE2k

— 𝗕𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗨 (@Brutu24) December 26, 2025

According to stats, in the year 2025, the right-handed batter produced only a batting average of 24.25, which is his lowest batting average in three years. He performed in 15 matches and 15 innings and scored only 291 runs in total with a strike rate of 137.26. In this year, Gill has produced zero centuries and half-centuries in T20 Internationals. 

In India, his all-time T20I stats are also not very eye-soothing. If he observed the numbers of Gill in the Twenty20 International format in 2025, there are enough reasons for the selection panel to put him outside the T20I squad.

Shubman Gill's T20I stats in 2025 in brief: