Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif has stepped into the debate over India’s T20 World Cup 2026 selection and has strongly backed the selectors’ decision to stick with Suryakumar Yadav and leave out Shubman Gill. Kaif believes the two batsmen are at very different stages in their T20 journeys and viewing their dips in form as identical situations misses the bigger picture.
Gill’s omission was surprising when the selection committee met on December 20 in Mumbai, especially in light of his recent role as vice-captain and his position, which is seen as a long-term leadership option. However, Kaif explained that the call was rooted in T20 pedigree rather than potential. He emphasized on his YouTube channel that Suryakumar’s past dominance in the format earned him widespread support, something Gill is still working on.
“There is a difference in the cases of Gill and Surya. Surya was a proven match-winner in T20s. He topped the ICC rankings and also won matches. We cannot compare the two here. Gill had to prove himself in the Indian team in this format,” Kaif said.
“Take Kohli for example, he didn’t score for those two years during COVID, but because he had a great record and was a match-winner for about 10 years, you backed him on his reputation and he came out of that phase and started scoring again. Surya is also in that category. Gill is nowhere near Surya in this format,” he said, adding that you should remove both of them in this form if Sury didn’t earn here.
Kaif also made it clear Suryakumar’s poor run should prompt analysis, not dismissal, and pointed out the need for patience when dealing with elite T20 players.
“He can’t be dropped. In Surya’s case, he has to be supported. You have to focus on where he is making mistakes and why he can’t score. Is it because of the captaincy? Is the pressure getting to him? That is the question,” Kaif mused.
“He is a solid player in this format. The question is how he gets out of this phase. He needs to assess whether he is putting his energy elsewhere and whether his technique is exposed. He has to find those answers,” he said.
Suryakumar’s recent T20I numbers underline the concerns. In 2025, he managed only 218 runs from 19 innings at an average of 13.62, with a highest score of 47 in the Asia Cup. He also struggled against South Africa, scoring just 34 runs in four innings during the home series which India won 3–1.
Gill’s output, while better, still failed to meet modern T20 benchmarks. He has scored 291 runs from 15 matches at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of just over 137, figures that do not match India’s requirement for an explosive opening partnership. With Axar Patel named vice-captain instead, the selectors signaled a clear preference for the proven T20 impact. It will offer a five-match T20I series against New Zealand next month Suryakumar a chance to justify this belief.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
December 23, 2025
