India coach Gautam Gambhir refused to answer questions about why Shubman Gill was dropped from the T20 World Cup 2026 squad after landing in Delhi on Saturday, December 20. Gambhir arrived in his hometown after completing the India vs. South Africa T20I which the hosts won 3-1 with their victory in Ahmedabad on Friday.
Gambhir was not present in Mumbai for the squad announcement as chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Suryakumar Yadav attended. The biggest shock came in the form of Gill being insulted as vice-captain and his place in the team was given to Ishan Kishanwho returned to the side after two years. As soon as Gambhir stepped out of the airport, he was mobbed by reporters seeking an answer from the Indian coach.
Just as he was about to leave, Gambhir was asked about a call from the BCCI regarding Gill’s omission, and the Indian coach chose to remain silent as security stepped in to push back the crowd. You can watch the full video below:
#WATCH | Indian Men’s Cricket Team Head Coach Gautam Gambhir arrives in Delhi
The BCCI today announced India’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. pic.twitter.com/RbqVtaixyR
— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2025
Why was Gill dropped from the T20 World Cup squad?
The reason for Gill’s expulsion from the party provided by Agarkar and Suryakumar during a press conference in Mumbai. The BCCI chief selector said that while there was no doubt about Gill’s talent, they ultimately decided to prioritize the team combination.
“There is no doubt about Shubman’s qualities. He may not have scored as many runs recently but that doesn’t change how highly we rate him. He was also unlucky to miss the last World Cup when we went with a different combination,” Agarkar said.
Echoing the same sentiment, Suryakumar said it was never about Gill’s recent form.
“It’s not about his form. It’s just about the combination. We wanted to have a goalkeeper at the top. It’s not about his form. His quality is not being talked about. He is a great player,” said Suryakumar.
Gill has struggled to impress in the 15 T20Is he has played this year, scoring 291 runs at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of just over 137. A recent report stated that Gill has been dropped from the team was decided before the Ahmedabad T20I.
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Published on:
December 20, 2025
