Shubman Gill's Injury Paves Way for Sanju Samson in T20 World Cup Squad
Ashwin Discusses Team Changes Ahead of T20 World Cup
Ravichandran Ashwin, a former Indian cricket star, expressed that Shubman Gill's absence from the last two T20 matches against South Africa indicated that Sanju Samson would likely open alongside Abhishek Sharma in the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Gill faced a major setback after being excluded from the squad for the T20 World Cup and the New Zealand T20I due to concerns regarding his fitness and performance. Suryakumar Yadav will captain India for the first time in an ICC tournament, with Axar Patel serving as his deputy in Gill's absence. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the team at their headquarters, with Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar present.
Ashwin's Insights on Team Dynamics
Ashwin noted, "When Shubman got injured and left the series, it became evident that Sanju would be part of the World Cup squad. This isn't a complicated matter. Having played for Indian cricket for 15-20 years, I've witnessed similar situations. Sanju's inclusion wasn't a mere coincidence; it felt almost destined."
Strategic Shift in India's Powerplay
Ashwin emphasized that Gill had received considerable support, being appointed vice-captain of the T20 team. However, he believes the current pairing of Sanju and Abhishek is more effective. He suggested that the team's strategic shift and Gill's recent performance may have influenced this decision.
"The selectors showed great confidence in Shubman by making him vice-captain. Now, it appears that the combination of Sanju and Abhishek is quite promising. Feedback from the Indian team management likely played a role in this change, especially since India has altered their powerplay approach, as demonstrated by Rohit in the last World Cup. Sanju and Abhishek embody this new style of play," he added.
Gill's Recent Performance and Exclusion
Since returning to the team during the Asia Cup as vice-captain after a successful Test series in England, Gill has struggled to maintain his form in T20Is. He has accumulated only 291 runs in 15 innings at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate exceeding 137, without any fifties and a top score of 47. Alongside Gill, Jitesh Sharma, who participated in the recent T20Is against South Africa, was also left out.
India's Upcoming T20 World Cup Journey
As defending champions and co-hosts, India will kick off their T20 World Cup campaign on February 7, aiming to secure their third title.
India's Squad for T20 World Cup 2026 and New Zealand T20I Series
Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-capt), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (wk).