Why Did India Drop Shubman Gill From T20 World Cup? Ricky Ponting Can’t Believe Snub
Shubman Gill delivered impressive performances for India in the red-ball format against England before rejoining the T20I setup during Asia Cup 2025, where he was appointed vice-captain. However, his return to the shortest format proved disappointing, as he failed to register even a single half-century in T20 internationals. This form slump ultimately cost him a spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad.
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting expressed his shock at Gill’s omission while speaking on the ICC Review. “I couldn’t believe that. I mean, I know his recent form hasn’t been great in white-ball cricket. The last time that I really saw much of him play was the Test series against England in the UK, where he batted as well as I’ve ever seen anybody bat. I think, one, I’m surprised, but two, it just shows the depth of Indian cricket,” Ponting stated.
The Australian legend emphasized the quality of India’s talent pool, adding, “If you can think that someone as good as Shubman Gill doesn’t get picked in a World Cup squad, then it goes to show how many good players they do have”.
Gill’s struggle in numbers
Following his Asia Cup comeback, Gill has featured in 15 T20I innings, accumulating 291 runs at a modest average of 24.25 with a strike rate of 137.26. His top score in this period was an unbeaten 47 against Pakistan in Dubai on September 21 last year.
Selection committee’s rationale
The national selectors explained that team balance was the primary consideration behind the difficult call, with Gill’s recent T20I output failing to bolster his selection credentials.
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Chief selector Ajit Agarkar acknowledged Gill’s quality while defending the decision. “We know what a quality player he is, but, perhaps short of a little bit of runs at the moment. It’s unfortunate to have missed out in the last World Cup as well because we went with different combinations. But it’s the combinations more than anything else… Someone has to miss out when you pick 15 and unfortunately, it’s Gill at this point,” Agarkar explained during the squad announcement press conference.