New Delhi, Dec 21 (NationPress) Over 24 hours have passed since BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia reiterated the Indian squad for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, confirming Axar Patel as the vice-captain. This announcement also indicated that Shubman Gill, who serves as India’s Test and ODI captain, has been excluded from the T20I lineup with less than 50 days remaining before the tournament kicks off.

Gill's removal ended weeks of speculation regarding whether his return disrupted the established opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson. Despite only scoring 291 runs in 15 innings at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26, many believed Gill's position was secure until this unexpected development occurred.

According to multiple sources familiar with the situation, the decision to omit Gill, who was expected to lead India across all formats, was described as 'difficult but essential' for the team's prospects of winning the tournament, where the Suryakumar Yadav-led side enters as the defending champions.

“Leaving Gill out was a challenging but necessary choice. It was made with the team's best interests in mind. The management of the T20I squad recognized some time ago that the strategy involving Gill was not yielding results. The question was when to make the change, and this adjustment was made on the squad selection day,” sources added.

This agency has also learned that there was significant consensus within the think-tank about reinstating Samson to the opening position and bringing back Rinku Singh, following the abandoned T20I against South Africa in Lucknow, the day after Gill sustained a toe injury during a practice session.

The pragmatic choice to drop Gill, who once again missed out on participating in the T20 World Cup, has received largely positive feedback, yet it carries a poignant message: no player is shielded from disappointing performances, and decision-makers will support combinations they believe provide the best chance of clinching a global title.

Similarly, captain Suryakumar Yadav has been struggling, accumulating only 244 runs in his last 22 innings without a single fifty. However, sources indicated that changing a captain so close to the major event was never on the table. “Nobody was considering dropping a captain during a World Cup selection meeting. That would have been a foolish move,” sources commented.

More than a day later, the announcement of Patel’s promotion to vice-captain and Gill’s exclusion continues to resonate. However, it’s important to recall that in the previous three ICC men’s tournaments, India lost only one match and secured two titles – the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy. As we approach 2026, all eyes will be on how Yadav and his team strategize to defend India's T20 World Cup title.