Shubman Gill’s absence from India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad has surprised many. One of them is former Australia captain Ricky Ponting. The cricket great admitted he was stunned to see Gill’s name missing from the list. Ponting spoke about the decision on the ICC Review. He said the omission was difficult to understand at first. He says Gill’s talent is unquestionable, even if his recent white-ball form hasn’t been the best.
India ODI Team Review | Iyer returns, Pant nods, Shami missing again
“I couldn’t believe it,” Ponting said. “I know his recent form hasn’t been great in white-ball cricket, but the last time I really saw him play was in the Test series against England in Great Britain, where he batted as well as I’ve ever seen anyone bat.” Ponting added that the decision shows how strong Indian cricket is right now. He said that when a player of Gill’s quality cannot make the squad for the World Cup, it speaks volumes about the depth of the squad. “If someone as good as Shubman Gill is not selected in the World Cup squad, it will show how many quality players he has. Gill returned to India’s T20I side during the Asia Cup. Since then, he has played 15 innings in the format. He scored 291 runs at an average of 24.25. His strike rate was 137.26. However, during that time he did not give a single fifty or hundred. His highest score was 47 which was against Pakistan in Dubai in September last year. Voters felt that these numbers did not fully support Gill’s case. They believed that line-up balance was more important than individual performances. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained the decision during a press conference after the team announcement. He made it clear that the selectors still rate Gill very highly. “There is no doubt about Shubman’s quality,” Agarkar said. “He may not have scored as many runs of late, but that doesn’t change how highly we rate him. Agarkar said the decision was mainly about the team combination. He pointed out that the team wanted two goaltenders at the top of the order. “It’s more about team balance than individual ability,” he said.
