Shubman Gill’s exclusion from India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad has left many surprised, and Sunil Gavaskar is also in that camp. Gill, India’s current Test and ODI captain and the T20I vice-captain until the South Africa series, was left out when Ajit Agarkar announced the T20 World Cup and New Zealand T20I squads. Instead, the selectors went with Ishan Kishan and brought back Rinku Singh, while Jitesh Sharma also missed out.
Fans thought it was a foregone conclusion that the management would continue to back their decision of drafting in Shubman Gill in the T20I setup. However, as it turns out, they weren’t sure either. They gave Gill the entire Asia Cup, the series against Australia and also three games against South Africa. But the star player didn’t manage to score a fifty as well.
Sunil Gavaskar reacts to Gill’s exclusion
Reacting on Star Sports, Gavaskar admitted he did not see this coming at all. “Not a bit of a surprise, it is a surprise,” he said, showing just how unexpected the decision was. Gavaskar acknowledged Gill’s struggles in recent T20Is but was quick to defend the batter’s pedigree. He pointed out that Gill had enjoyed an excellent run with the bat after the 2024 T20 World Cup and stressed that a few quiet games should not erase that.
“Yes, he struggled in a few matches against South Africa, but class is permanent and form is temporary,” Gavaskar said, making it clear that he still rates Gill as a high-quality batter.
Gill’s numbers did work against him. Since being reinstated in 2025, he failed to score a single fifty in 15 T20I innings, averaging under 25 with a strike rate below 140. In a format that demands instant impact, the selectors eventually felt they could not wait any longer.
“Nazar lag jaati hai”: A personal moment with Gill
In the same breath, Gavaskar revealed that he had recently travelled on the same flight as Gill and Suryakumar Yadav from Ahmedabad. During that brief interaction, the former India captain offered Gill some heartfelt advice.
“Ghar pe kisiko bolo nazar utar de. You know, because we believe in that. We believe in ki kabhi kabhi nazar lag jaati hain,” Gavaskar said, explaining that sometimes things go wrong despite hard work, and people believe in warding off bad luck. It also emerged that Gill was informed about his exclusion only moments before the squad was announced at the Wankhede Stadium.
“He was also coming back after a long break and was out of rhythm,” he added. “When you are not in rhythm in T20 cricket, where you have to attack from the start, it becomes difficult. His natural game is more suited to Test cricket, playing along the ground. The shots required in T20 cricket do not come as easily to him. He is a very good player, we have seen that in the IPL, so T20 is not new to him. Maybe that lack of form and touch went against him.”
