‘T20 World Cup snub will fire him up’ – Cheteshwar Pujara backs Shubman Gill ahead of IPL 2026

Former Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara believes that the IPL 2026 season will be a platform for Shubman Gill, who missed out on being named in the Indian squad for the recently concluded T20 World Cup.

The Indian Test and ODI captain was omitted from the squad due to form concerns and selectors subsequently prioritising Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan. India eventually lifted the title with vital contributions from the pair.

Pujara believes that the IPL will provide a platform for Gill to find his way back into the Indian T20 team, putting his faith in the Gujarat Titans skipper’s quality.

“The T20 World Cup squad snub will definitely fire up Shubman Gill. He is a quality player suited for all three formats. If he has a good IPL 2026 season, he will surely put his name in India’s T20I squad. He is leading the Test squad and is also the ODI captain. He is a multi-format player. If he has a good season, he will be back in the scheme of things for the Indian team,” Pujara said while speaking on JioHotstar.

The former CSK, RCB and KKR player further stated that Gill’s focus should be on accelerating his scoring during this IPL season, which could be a chance for the opener to improve his batting, despite the pressure that comes from the Indian team snub.

“There will be some pressure on him because he has not been part of the India squad in the shortest format. But at the same time, it is a great opportunity for him to carry on batting the way he has. He needs to try and accelerate a little more because that is something he has been working on. This IPL season is the perfect one for him to show he can bat at a strike rate of 150 to 160,” he added.

Gill’s Gujarat Titans will begin their campaign against the Punjab Kings on March 31 at the New Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mullanpur. They were beaten by the Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator of the 2025 season and will be looking to better that performance.