Why was Shubman Gill dropped from T20 World Cup 2026? Gautam Gambhir gave a shocking reaction

By Samira Vishwas On Dec 21, 2025

Shubman Gill’s exclusion from the T20 team has become a big topic of discussion in Indian cricket these days. On 20 December 2025, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the team for the 2026 T20 World Cup, in which the absence of Gill’s name surprised everyone.

Gill was recently the vice-captain of the T20 team, but now his place is not available. Head coach Gautam Gambhir’s reaction on this decision is also making headlines.

Team announcement and Gill’s exit

BCCI retained Suryakumar Yadav as captain and appointed Akshar Patel as vice-captain. Ishan Kishan returned to the team, while Gill and Jitesh Sharma were out. Gill scored only 32 runs in three matches in the recent South Africa T20 series. His strike rate was also low as per T20. The selectors cited team combination as the reason.

#WATCH Indian Men’s Cricket Team Head Coach Gautam Gambhir arrives in Delhi
BCCI today announced India’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. pic.twitter.com/RbqVtaixyR
— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2025

Chief selector and captain’s opinion

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said that Gill is a very good player, but this decision was taken for the team combination. There is more benefit if the wicketkeeper bats in the top order. Captain Suryakumar Yadav also clarified that Gill’s exclusion is not due to form. Rather, there was a need to try different combinations.

Gautam Gambhir’s shocking reaction

A few hours after the team announcement, Gautam Gambhir was seen at Delhi Airport. During this, the media asked him questions about Gill’s drop, but Gambhir did not say a single word. He silently ignored the reporters and drove away in the car.

This video quickly went viral on social media. Seeing this, the fans are surprised as to why the coach maintained silence. Many people are considering this as a sign that the coach had a big role in the decision.

Gill’s T20 record

Gill is the captain of India in Test and ODI and is in excellent form. But he could not prove himself in T20. This year his average in 15 T20 matches was only around 24. The team management is now expressing confidence in aggressive openers like Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. Still, the sudden ouster of the vice-captain is a surprise for everyone. This incident has sparked debate in the cricket world.