Shubman Gill’s sudden omission from India’s T20 World Cup squad has sparked widespread debate. Having served as vice-captain in India’s recently concluded T20I series against South Africa, Gill has now been left out of the squad for the tournament slated to begin in February next year. A last-minute review of the team’s composition prompted the management to favour a wicketkeeper-opener combination, shifting the balance of the playing XI. Consequently, Shubman was left out of the 15-man squad, with Sanju Samson resuming his original opening role, Ishan Kishan returning as the backup opener, and Abhishek Sharma retaining his place as the automatic choice.
Veteran India spinner Harbhajan Singh has defended Shubman Gill’s omission from India’s T20 World Cup squad, stressing it’s not a reflection on his abilities. He highlighted the intense competition for spots, praised Gill’s technique, and expressed confidence that the young star will bounce back, considering his still India’s captain in Tests and ODIs.
“It’s not a signal to Gill. He was not taking his place for granted. The competition is so much and they’ve got too many players in the present scenario who can fill that slot and can do well for the team. This is not the end of the road for Gill; he’s a great, great player with beautiful technique, and he will make a brilliant comeback, and not to forget, he’s still the Test captain for India,” Harbhajan told reporters during the launch event of the 4th season of the Legends 90 League.
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Meanwhile, Shubman returned to India’s T20I setup this year during the Asia Cup and was immediately reinstated as vice-captain. However, he struggled to cement his place at the top of the order, managing just 291 runs in 15 matches at a strike rate of 137.26, without scoring a single half-century.
“Shubman Gill will make a great comeback”
Harbhajan explained that team selection focused on finding the right combinations for the format, emphasising that Shubman Gill remains a class player. He expressed confidence that Gill, despite the current setback, will make a strong comeback.
“Over there, when I was listening to Ajit or even Surya, they were saying that they were looking at which combination fits where for this format. So, given those conditions and that combination, with that kind of respect, the team has been selected that way. So Gill is a class player, there is no doubt about it, and he’ll make a great comeback,” he added.
