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VADODARA: India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill addressed his surprising omission from the national squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 ahead of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting Sunday.
The 26-year-old batter, who scored just 291 runs in his last 15 T20Is at an average of 24.25, was left out of the 15-member squad as selectors opted for a more attacking top order for the mega-event.
Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan were preferred for India’s top three slots in the shortest format.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Gill described the decision as part of “destiny” and said he respected the selectors’ call.
“Firstly, it is my belief that in my life, I am where I am supposed to be. Whatever is written in my destiny, I will have it,” Gill said.
“As a player, you have a belief that if you play the World Cup, you will win for your team, you will win for your country.
“But having said that, I respected the selectors’ decision, whichever decision they took, wishing the T20 team all the very best and I really, really hope that they win the [T20] World Cup for us.”
India, defending champions of the T20 World Cup, will look to continue their dominance despite Gill’s absence. Notably, the marquee event will be played across India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
Turning his focus to the ODI series, Shubman Gill acknowledged the presence of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the squad as major support.
The duo, who retired from T20Is after leading India to glory in the 2024 T20 World Cup in Barbados and subsequently stepped away from Tests in 2025, now play only in the ODI format.
“Definitely, when you have these two people in your team, it makes your life a lot easier,” Gill said.
“And whenever you are in a tough situation, they always have been in those kinds of situations and conditions many times in their life, so you can always go to them and see how they are thinking or what they would do, and that piece of information is very valuable for any captain.”
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