Shubman Gill has shifted his focus back to batting practice and domestic cricket after being left out of India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad and the accompanying T20I series against New Zealand.
The India Test and ODI captain, who had served as vice-captain during the T20I series against South Africa, was omitted from the home World Cup squad, with Axar Patel named vice-captain for the marquee event to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka next year.
In the wake of the snub, Gill has been putting in intense batting sessions at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali. During the nets, he played majestic shots through both the off and leg side, fine-tuning his technique ahead of the new year.
Although overlooked for the T20Is, Gill will rejoin the Indian side for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand from January 11 to 18, where he remains a key component in the 50-over format.
Gill has also committed to representing Punjab in the Vijay Hazare Trophy to maintain match fitness. He was named in Punjab’s squad for the tournament but did not feature in their 51-run win over Maharashtra at the Anantam Ground in Jaipur. Punjab’s next game is against Chhattisgarh on Friday, December 26 in Jaipur.
GILL NOT EVEN IN ALTERNATE XI
Even as Shubman Gill processes his shock omission from India’s T20 World Cup squad, the star batter has faced another setback after being excluded from Aakash Chopra’s alternative 15-man squad as well.
The omission effectively places Gill outside India’s top 30 T20 players, as per the former opener’s assessment. Chopra, now a noted pundit, picked a light-hearted squad comprising players ignored by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, taking a subtle dig at the perception of Gill as a T20 anchor.
He remarked that if selectors felt an accumulator wasn’t needed in the current setup, he saw no reason to include one either.
Gill’s recall to the T20I side during the Asia Cup led to the break-up of the successful Sanju Samson–Abhishek Sharma opening pair. Named vice-captain, his relatively conservative approach came under scrutiny, with Samson pushed into the middle order and Rinku Singh’s opportunities as a finisher curtailed. Gill, however, ran out of luck after a lacklustre series against South Africa, where he struggled to find form.
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