'He Is A Quality Batter': Sunil Gavaskar Questions Shubman Gill's Exclusion From Team India's T20 World Cup 2026 Squad

T20 World Cup 2026: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Saturday, December 20, announced Team India's 15-member squad for the upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup.

T20 World Cup 2026 is set to begin on February 7, while India will start their voyage in the prestigious tournament, against the United States, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

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Shubman Gill Excluded From India's T20 World Cup 2026 Squad

Earlier on December 20, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, along with chief selector Ajit Agarkar and T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav, attended the press conference in Mumbai to reveal the 15-member squad.

Shockingly, Shubman Gill, who served as Suryakumar Yadav's deputy, was dropped from the squad for the upcoming ICC event. In the recently concluded five-match T20I series between India and South Africa, Gill failed to make a mark, scoring only 32 runs from three games at a strike rate of 103.22 and an average of 10.66.

Shubman Gill made his T20I debut for Team India in 2023 against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. In the T20Is, the 26-year-old played 36 matches, scoring 869 runs at a strike rate of 138.59 and an average of 28.03. The right-handed batter scored one century and three fifties in the T20Is.

ALSO READ: Ajit Agarkar Explains Rationale Behind Shubman Gill's Omission From India's T20 World Cup 2026 Squad: 'Short Of A Little Bit Of Runs'

Sunil Gavaskar ‘Shocked’ Following Gill's Omission From T20 WC Squad

While speaking on JioStar, Sunil Gavaskar opened up on Shubman Gill's omission from the T20 World Cup 2026 squad, saying that it was surprising. Gavaskar showered praise on the youngster, saying he is a quality batter but struggled in few matches against South Africa.

The former cricketer further added that 'class is permanent, and form is temporary'.

"It is a surprise. He is a classic, quality batter who had a fabulous season post the 2024 T20 World Cup. Yes, he struggled in a few matches against South Africa. But class is permanent, and form is temporary. He was also coming back after a long break and was out of rhythm. When you are not in rhythm in T20 cricket, where you have to attack from the start, it is hard," Sunil Gavaskar said on JioStar.

In the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, Team India have been placed in Group A, alongside Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and the USA.