Shubman Gill has shifted his focus back to batting and domestic cricket after being left out of India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad and the accompanying T20I series against New Zealand.
The India Test and ODI captain, who served as vice-captain during the T20I series against South Africa, has been left out of the home World Cup squad, with Axar Patel named vice-captain for the marquee event to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka next year.
Following the insult, Gill batted extensively at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali. At the nets, he played majestic shots through the off and leg and fine-tuned his technique before the new year.
Although overlooked for the T20Is, Gill will rejoin the Indian side for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand from January 11-18, where he remains a key part of the 50-over format.
Gill has also committed to represent Punjab in the Vijay Hazare Trophy to keep fit. He was named in the Punjab squad for the tournament but did not feature in their 51-run win over Maharashtra at the Anantam Ground in Jaipur. Punjab’s next match is against Chhattisgarh on Friday, December 26 in Jaipur.
GILL NOT IN REPLACEMENT XI
Even as Shubman Gill processes his shock omission from India’s T20 World Cup squad, the star batsman faced another setback after being excluded from Aakash Chopra’s alternate 15-man squad also.
The omission effectively places Gill outside the top 30 T20 players in India, according to the previous player rating. Chopra, now a noted pundit, picked a carefree team of players ignored by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, subtly tapping into the perception of Gill as a T20 anchor.
He noted that if the selectors felt there was no need for an accumulator in the current set-up, they saw no reason to include it.
Gill’s recall to the T20I side during the Asia Cup led to the breakup of the successful Sanju Samson–Abhishek Sharma opening pair. Appointed vice-captain, his relatively conservative approach came under scrutiny, Samson moved into the middle order and Rinku Singh’s opportunities as a finisher were limited. However, bad luck ran out for Gill after a lackluster series against South Africa where he struggled to find form.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
December 25, 2025
