Overseas centuries, on your debut series as captain; not many in the Indian history have come on top of it. But Shubman Gill came forth as the one who defied all odds, becoming the first player to score four centuries in a debut Test captaincy series. He was made the face of the Indian team, taking over captaincy roles in Test, and ODIs and acted as the deputy to Suryakumar Yadav in T20s.
But despite serving as the vice-captain and being viewed as the future face of the team, Gill’s recent struggles with form and strike rate led to his omission from the T20 World Cup squad.
While chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir initially included Gill in their preferred 15-man list, newly inducted committee members RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha, along with two other members reportedly led a firm opposition.
The duo questioned Gill’s place based on his inconsistent T20 form, noting he has failed to score a half-century in 15 innings, with an average below 25 and a strike rate under 140. With the majority of the committee pushing for a change, Agarkar eventually informed the Test and ODI captain of the decision via a brief phone call.
The decision follows a difficult period for the 26-year-old, who faced injuries and a dip in performance. After recovering from a neck strain, Gill posted scores of 4, 0, and 28 in South Africa before a toe injury further sidelined him. Statistically, Gill’s recent T20I output; 291 runs in 15 matches at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137, failed to meet the management's requirement for better starts.
Technical adjustments made to Gill's game may have also played a role in his exclusion. While a straighter bat helped him score 754 runs in the Test series against England, some believe it restricted the horizontal-bat shots necessary for the shortest format. His strike rate in the last 10 T20Is fell to 127.65, lending weight to the theory that his range of shots has narrowed.
The selection also involved a tactical trade-off to accommodate Rinku Singh. By bringing in Kishan, the management ensured they have wicketkeeping options that allow Rinku to slot into the middle order, which meant Jitesh Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal were the collateral damage.
Kishan effectively sealed his spot with an extraordinary performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final in Pune, where he smashed 101 runs off just 49 balls, including 10 sixes. RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha witnessed the innings firsthand and argued that Kishan’s power-hitting provided the "firepower" India had been lacking.
The selectors chose to prioritize current domestic form, with Kishan’s high-scoring Syed Mushtaq Ali campaign providing the "exit clause" to pivot away from Gill. Despite Suryakumar Yadav’s own recent low average of 13.62 in 2025, the team management opted to back the captain’s proven international T20 record over Gill's potential.