Shubman Gill’s exclusion from India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad sent shockwaves through the cricket world, but BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar has now explained the thinking behind the controversial decision. The 26-year-old star batter, who was vice-captain during the Asia Cup, has been left out primarily due to poor form and team combination requirements.

Form and combination drive selection call

Ajit Agarkar didn’t mince words when addressing Gill’s omission at the squad announcement press conference on Saturday. “Shubman Gill is short of runs at the moment and missed the last World Cup too,” Agarkar stated bluntly. The chief selector acknowledged Gill’s quality but pointed to the harsh reality of his recent numbers—just 291 runs in 15 T20I matches in 2025 at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate barely above 137​

The combination factor proved equally decisive. “You are looking at combinations. If your keeper was going to bat, he would bat at the top of the order. Shubman is unfortunate to miss out. Someone has to miss out when you pick 15,” Agarkar explained.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav echoed this sentiment, making it clear that the decision wasn’t solely about form. “It’s not about Gill’s form. We wanted to have a keeper at the top,” Suryakumar said, confirming that the team’s tactical blueprint demanded wicketkeeper-batters in the opening slots.

Samson-Abhishek opening pair gets the nod

The selection panel has thrown its weight behind the explosive Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma opening combination, a duo that terrorised opposition attacks in 2024. When they opened together last year, India crossed the 200-run mark six times, compared to just once after Gill replaced Samson in the lineup.

Samson’s recent form in South Africa—where he smashed boundaries from ball one and set the platform for Abhishek to play his natural game—reinforced the selectors’ belief in the pair. The wicketkeeper-batter’s return brings balance and firepower to the top order, something that was missing when Gill occupied the slot. ​

Kishan’s stunning return, Jitesh’s unfortunate exit

Ishan Kishan has made a dramatic comeback to the T20I squad after his explosive showing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he topped the run charts with 517 runs at a strike rate close to 200 and led Jharkhand to the title. His return as the second wicketkeeper gives India the flexibility to field two keeper-batters at the top, which was impossible with Gill in the mix.

The downside of Kishan’s inclusion was the unfortunate exclusion of Jitesh Sharma, who had been India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in recent T20I series. The selectors opted for Kishan’s top-order explosiveness and recent domestic form over Jitesh’s reliability behind the stumps.

Rinku Singh, the finisher who had been left out of the South Africa tour, also makes a welcome return to bolster the middle and lower order.

India’s T20 World Cup squad and tournament details

The 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, with 40 group-stage matches concluding on February 20. The top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the Super Eights starting February 21.

Defending champions India have been drawn in Group A alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, and Namibia. The Men in Blue are chasing history on three fronts—becoming the first team to successfully defend the T20 World Cup title, the first to win on home soil, and the first to claim a third T20 world crown.

India’s group fixtures:

  1. February 7: India vs USA at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

  2. February 12: India vs Namibia at Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi

  3. February 15: India vs Pakistan at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo

  4. February 18: India vs Netherlands at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedaba

    Before the World Cup, India will play five T20Is against New Zealand starting January 21 in Nagpur, followed by matches in Raipur, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and Thiruvananthapuram.

India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad (15):

​ Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Axar Patel (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan.