Kris Srikkanth backs selectors' decision of Shubman Gill’s omission from India squad for the T20 World Cup 2026

On December 20, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India’s 15-member squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, which will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 07 to March 09. Two prominent names were omitted from the squad. The first name is of wicket-keeper batsman Jitesh Sharma, but the name that surprised everyone was that of T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill.

In place of these two players, Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh have got a chance in the T20 World Cup squad, whose recent form has been excellent. 

No one had thought that Shubman Gill would not be a part of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squad. Even India's former captain, Kris Srikkanth, was surprised after seeing India's World Cup squad. However, he has termed this decision of the chief selector as correct. He pointed out that Gill had been struggling in T20Is and that his strike rate was significantly lower than that of his teammates, including Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, and Abhishek Sharma, who returned to the squad after an exceptional Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign.

“I was very shocked. This is a superb selection. I didn't expect they would drop Shubman Gill. They made him the vice-captain. Even during the tour of Australia, he was the vice-captain. Yes, Rinku Singh was in the team, and Ishan Kishan wasn't even on the radar. But, fantastic selection, I should say. Well done, Ajit Agarkar and Team India selection team!” Srikkanth said on his YouTube show.

“In one-day cricket, he (Gill) is great. In tests, he scored truckloads in England. But in T20Is, he has been struggling. His strike rate is nothing compared to Ishan Kishan or anybody else. That's where Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson take over. Abhishek is a certainty, the No. 1 in the world. Sanju and Ishan add a wicketkeeper-opening batter combination,” Srikkanth added.

Kris Srikkanth was delighted to see Kishan back in the T20I setup. Ishan Kishan performed excellently in the recently held Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025. For playing for Jharkhand, he scored 517 runs in 10 innings, including 2 centuries and 2 half-centuries. He scored these runs with an average of 57.44 and a strike rate of 197.32. In the final match against Haryana, the left-handed batsman scored a century to help Jharkhand win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, making him the highest run scorer in the competition. He was also the captain of Jharkhand. And under his leadership, Jharkhand lost only one match throughout the tournament and became the champion. 

“Ishan Kishan's pick is a fantastic selection. He scored runs in domestic cricket, which means selectors are considering performances in domestic cricket. By sheer value of scores and performances, he has gotten back into the side. He didn't just score runs for himself; he ensured his team was winning. Well done, Ishan. I'm very happy for you. Don't forget, he vanished after scoring a double century (in ODIs). He was in the World Cup team," Srikkanth stated.”