Speaking candidly about Shubman Gill‘s removal from India’s 2026 T20 World Cup roster, former cricketer Madan Lal expressed his hope that the selection committee had given him ample notice of their decision. India’s 15-man roster for the massive tournament, which is set for February and March of next year, did not include Gill.
He emphasised the need for open communication when it comes to protecting a player’s morale, pointing out that Indian cricket has followed a similar pattern of informing players of their exclusion from a future series or tournament.
“Look, in Indian cricket, players are typically told that they are not on the squad in this manner. He must have been called, I hope. That level of respect is at least appropriate. “Sorry, you are not part of the team,” should be the call from the chairman of the selectors. In addition to feeling better for the player, that type of communication seems appropriate. In an interview with KADAK, Lal said, “It may not feel good to hear that, but at least it’s something to know that ‘yes, they called me and informed me’.”
Lal emphasised how, up until recently, there was general agreement that Gill should be named captain for all formats.
But he went on to say that when choosing a team for an international competition like the T20 World Cup, the captain-coach pair’s opinions about a player’s form are more important than most people realise.
We believed that Shubman Gill ought to be named captain in all three forms just two or three months ago. You know, international cricket is always going through this up-and-down phase. Yes, Gill might have been chosen if he had been playing well and scoring runs. However, it is up to the coach and captain. Their opinions are quite important, particularly when choosing a World Cup squad,” he continued.
In 2025, Gill’s T20I stats for India were disappointing. At a strike rate of 137.26 and an average of 24.25, he was only able to score 291 runs in 15 games.
Axar Patel has been named by the Men in Blue as Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy for the major event. On Saturday, December 20, the team was revealed at the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s Mumbai headquarters.
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