Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill axed by BCCI for T20 World Cup 2026 as Ajit Agarkar chooses Ishan Kishan

Shubman Gill is the Indian captain in Tests and ODIs and was the vice-captain in T20Is until India vs South Africa series.

In what has come as a shocker, the BCCI has dropped Shubman Gill from the squads for the India vs New Zealand T20Is and for the T20 World Cup 2026. Instead, Ishan Kishan has been a shocking inclusion, backed by his superlative performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT).

While Shubman Gill was initially forced into the T20I setup and his form didn’t inspire confidence as well. However, many expected Ajit Agarkar to name the same squad that played against South Africa. It didn’t happen as India have included Rinku Singh and Ishan Kishan. Meanwhile, finisher in Jitesh Sharma has missed out as well.

Why is Shubman Gill dropped?

Gill’s omission is easily the biggest headline from Ajit Agarkar’s selection call. Gill’s return to India’s T20I setup after the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli was meant to bring stability at the top. Instead, it has gone the other way. Since being reinstated as opener and vice-captain in 2025, Gill has not scored a single half-century in 15 T20I innings. His average has dipped below 25, and his strike rate has failed to cross 140, numbers that simply don’t stack up in modern T20 cricket.

What hurt Gill further was the loss of an opening partnership. While Abhishek Sharma continued to deliver explosive starts, Gill struggled to complement him, something Sanju Samson had managed effectively during his stint as opener. Despite a prolific IPL 2025, where Gill averaged close to 50 at a strike rate above 155, that fluency never creeped into the international T20 stage.

If Gill’s numbers shut one door, Ishan Kishan’s domestic form kicked another wide open. Kishan was outstanding in the SMAT, leading Jharkhand to their maiden title while scoring 517 runs at a strike rate close to 200 and an average nearing 58. He brings flexibility too, slotting in as a third-choice opener and second wicketkeeper.

But heart goes out to Jitesh Sharma as well, who did nothing role as he was given the finisher’s role.

“Post T20 WC, when I went to Sri Lanka, when I was appointed captain, Gill played well. So, it’s not about form, it’s about combination. He’s a terrific player, and it’s just that we are in a situation where we need an extra player for our combination and that is why he’s been excluded for now,” explained Suryakumar Yadav on Gill’s exclusion.

India T20 World Cup 2026 Squad & IND vs NZ T20Is

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