Shubman Gill reacts to his T20 World Cup 2026 snub for first time before IND vs NZ ODIs

Despite batting across 15 innings, Gill managed to make just 291 runs at 24.25 and at a poor strike rate of 137.26 without a single fifty

For the first time ever since his snub from India’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, Shubman Gill has shared his reaction. It has been three weeks since the BCCI selection committee shocked the cricketing fraternity by dropping Gill despite his ordinary returns as an opener. However, attending the pre-match press conference before the first one-day international between India and New Zealand in Vadodara, Gill was asked about his axe from the T20 World Cup.

“Obviously as a player, you have a belief that if you play in the World Cup, you will win (it for) your team, (and) you will win (it for) your country. Having said that, I respect the selectors’ decision and (I am) wishing the T20 team all the very best and I really hope that they win the World Cup for us,” said the Indian ODI and Test captain to reporters on Saturday, January 10.

It was great to see Gill wish the Indian team well for a much-awaited home World Cup. No team in the history has managed to defend a T20 World Cup. But under Suryakumar Yadav, this Indian team is well placed to do it since the talent has incredibly swamped the entire T20 landscape.

“My belief is that in my life, I am where I am supposed to be and whatever things are written in my destiny, no one can take those things from me,“ he added.

Why was Shubman Gill dropped from Indian team?

Gill’s return for the ODI series comes after a frustrating few weeks on the sidelines. A neck injury ruled him out of the South Africa ODIs, and although he featured in parts of the T20I series that followed, the final match changed everything. With Gill unavailable, Sanju Samson stepped in and produced an impactful innings and the selection conversations shifted overnight. From that moment, Gill’s place in India’s T20 plans stopped feeling secure.

The selectors’ decision, though harsh, wasn’t pulled out of thin air. Gill’s T20I numbers have quietly slipped out of sync with the demands of the format. Since being handed the vice-captaincy and a permanent opening role in 2025, he didn’t cross a fifty in 15 innings. His average has dipped below 25. His strike rate didn’t touch 140.

For a format where starts are everything, Gill’s inability to keep pace with Abhishek Sharma at the other end made the problem more obvious. Sanju Samson, in contrast, managed to give India that balance Gill couldn’t. Samson struck at a strike rate of over 180 in 2024. In 2025, his place was changed on a game-to-game basis.

Not all wanted Gill out!

There was also disagreement behind closed doors. As reported previously, chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir were not keen on dropping Gill. But three selectors, including RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha, were firmly against his inclusion. They walked into the meeting convinced he didn’t fit India’s current T20 setup. The vote went against Gill, and Agarkar had no choice but to follow the majority. Gill was told only minutes before the squad announcement.

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)