Yograj Singh SLAMS Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar for Shubman Gill T20 World Cup snobbery; calls it “unacceptable”
Former Indian cricketer Yograj Singh has criticized the decision to leave Shubman Gill out of the squad for the upcoming 2026 T20 World Cup in February-March. The former all-rounder said a short run of poor scores should not outweigh a player’s position, leadership role or long-term importance to the team.
Gill’s omission from India’s T20 World Cup squad surprised many. He was made vice-captain during the Asia Cup after returning to the T20I setup. India reshuffled their top spot and split the opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. However, the change did not pay off for the Men in Blue.
Yograj Singh opens up on Shubman Gill’s omission from T20 World Cup 2026
Yograj Singh said the selectors ruled out Gill despite his position as vice-captain, adding that many players in the past had enjoyed long runs despite repeated failures. He used Abhishek Sharma as an example, wondering if youngsters would also be let down after a few bad outings.
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“Shubman Gill is vice-captain. What is the reason why he was dropped? Just because he failed in 4-5 innings? Indian cricketers have had so many players who barely managed to perform in 10 matches out of 100 occasions,” Yograj told Ravi Bisht in a YouTube show.
“They played again; you already know why. Young Abhishek Sharma came in a few years ago. If he fails four innings, will you drop him too?” he added.
Let me give you an example of the “great” Kapil Dev – Yograj Singh
Yograj Singh referred to previous selection decisions involving Kapil Dev. He recalls an instance during a foreign tour where Kapil continued to be supported despite repeated failures. Yograj added that Bishan Singh Bedi, the then captain, always had faith in Kapil by choosing him for the upcoming tour.
“Let me give you an example of the ‘great’ Kapil Dev. When we toured Pakistan with Bishan Singh Bedi as captain, Kapil Dev continued to play matches despite his failures with the bat and ball. But Bishan Singh Bedi still took him on the next tour of England,” Yograj said.
Shubman Gill’s T20I fight ahead of T20 World Cup 2026
Shubman Gill struggled in T20Is after returning to the national team. He scored 291 runs in 15 T20I matches at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26. He did not score a single half-century, leading to concerns about his impact in the shortest format.
As Gill failed to find consistency, India continued to change their T20I combination. Sanju Samson was first pushed down the batting order and then left out of the team as the selectors searched for the right balance.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed that the decision was based on team combination needs and not Gill’s lack of quality. India then brought back Ishan Kishan, rewarding him for his strong domestic form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Kishan replaced Gill in the T20 World Cup squad.
Despite this T20I setback, Gill remains a key figure for India. He continues as captain in ODIs and Tests, will play two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches for Punjab in Jaipur and is expected to lead India in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand starting January 11.
Also Read: Shubman Gill set to play for Punjab after snubbing T20 World Cup 2026
