Key reasons why Shubman Gill was dropped from India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad at the last moment

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India’s selection panel has taken a bold, tactical call by leaving Shubman Gill out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad, prioritising explosive starts and late-innings flexibility over a traditional top-order anchor.

According to officials, the decision was driven by form trends and the specific template the team wants to execute in World Cup conditions.

The selectors felt Gill’s recent T20I returns and limited impact in the powerplay did not align with the desired top-order balance. Instead, they preferred a structure built around two wicketkeeper-openers and an additional finisher – an approach aimed at maximising scoring in the first six overs while preserving depth for the death.

Gill’s omission follows a prolonged lean patch in T20Is. He has gone 18 innings without a half-century and has struggled to accelerate consistently during the powerplay – an area the selectors explicitly targeted for more aggression. The panel’s view was that World Cup matches demand immediate pressure at the top, and India wanted batters who can change gears from ball one.

Selection chair Ajit Agarkar acknowledged Gill’s current struggles, noting he was “short of runs at the moment.” Gill’s recent home series against South Africa yielded scores of 4, 0 and 28, and he then missed the final two T20Is due to a minor niggle – factors that weighed into the final call.

India’s decision to back Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan as wicketkeeper-batters who can both open was pivotal. This pairing gives the side immediate attacking intent at the top while retaining flexibility across match-ups and conditions.

By locking in two keeper-openers, the selectors freed up a valuable slot elsewhere in the XI – one that could be used to bolster finishing power without sacrificing balance.

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The restructured top order allowed India to accommodate Rinku Singh as a specialist finisher, a role the team considers essential in high-pressure World Cup chases. With Rinku in the mix, India can attack deeper into the innings while still fielding all-round options like Washington Sundar and Axar Patel.

Agarkar stressed the realities of squad selection: “Someone has to miss out when you pick 15,” adding that Gill was an “unfortunate” casualty of structure rather than a judgment on talent alone.

The BCCI and ICC summaries frame Gill’s omission as a deliberate pivot toward power at the top and flexibility in the lower middle order. Former internationals have echoed that view. R Ashwin and Sanjay Manjrekar have both suggested that once Gill’s form dipped and minor injuries crept in, his exit from this specific World Cup squad became “inevitable” – a belated but necessary recalibration.

Also READ: Fans left shocked as BCCI drops Shubman Gill from India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad