Why is Shubman Gill dropped from India's T20 World Cup 2026 squad?

Shubman Gill, the T20I vice-captain of the Indian cricket team, after a long string of poor and low scores in the shortest format, has been dropped from the home T20 World Cup 2026, which is going to begin on February 07 with the defending champions facing the United States of America (USA) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Gill has found himself in a tough phase of the shortest format with the help of only 291 runs in 15 innings at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26, with the best score of 47, as he ended the 2025 with no half-century to his name. That was always a concern for the team management, and once Sanju Samson got the chance and played a firing knock in Ahmedabad, the ice broke.

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On December 20, the selection committee, under the chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Suryakumar Yadav, decided to drop the Punjab batter out of the event, with them going after the young wicket-keeper batter, Ishan Kishan, back into the national side post his heroics in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025/26 to win the title for Jharkhand.

Shubman Gill dropped from India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad

Kishan has been in fine touch with the help of 517 runs in the SMAT 2025/26 in 10 innings at an average of 57.44 and a strike rate of 197.32, thanks to two centuries and as many half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 113, including a century in the final.

“Shubman is unfortunate to miss out, but it is just the combinations. He has been short of runs, but nobody is talking about Jaiswal; he is missing as well. At the end of the day, you are looking to see different options and the best combination to give you the best chance to do well in the World Cup.” Agarkar expressed in the press conference.

India also opted to go after Rinku Singh, instead of Jitesh Sharma, in the middle order. The same squad will also feature in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand at home ahead of the event.

India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad:

Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel (vc), Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Rinku Singh.