‘It’s like choosing Srikkanth over Gavaskar for T20s’ – Former India batter’s interesting take on Shubman Gill ahead of T20 World Cup 2026

Shubman Gill (Source: Debajyoti Chakraborty/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Shubman Gill failed to make the most of the ample opportunities he was given to establish himself as a reliable option for India at the top of the order in the shortest format. He couldn’t find a place in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 after going through a lean patch during the Asia Cup in September and the subsequent series against Australia and South Africa.

In 15 T20Is, Shubman scored just 291 runs at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26 this year. The BCCI selectors left the Punjab batter out of the squad for the T20 World Cup and decided to give the vice-captain’s position to Axar Patel.

Former India opener WV Raman said that Shubman was dropped not because he doesn’t have the ability to excel in the shortest format but because others are more explosive as batters than him, something that is highly valued in modern-day T20 cricket.

“Gill hasn’t been dropped for any significant fault of his. Just that the players around him are more explosive than him, a quality that is essential in modern-day T20 cricket. In an imaginary scenario, it is almost like choosing K Srikkanth over Sunil Gavaskar for the T20 format, knowing full well who the better batter in the format actually could be. That’s why I was wondering why it was necessary to make him the T20 vice-captain at that stage, when so many others fit the T20 bill so well,” WV Raman told the Times of India.

Gill should not think for a second that he has become a lesser player: Raman

Raman, who has ample coaching experience, said that he would suggest that Shubman not think about his exclusion emotionally and consider himself to have become a lesser player.

“If I was his coach, I would have told him that there is no place for emotion in a player’s life. It is a decision that has been taken with the team composition in mind and Gill should not think for a second that he has become a lesser player,” WV Raman said.

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