Shubman Gill initially included in India’s T20 World Cup squad; kicked out on last-minute orders from….

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Shubman Gill And Gautam Gambhir

Shubman Gill was initially part of India’s ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squad, but a last-minute decision has seen him out of the entire T20I plans. Shubman Gill was dropped from India’s T20I side after his string of poor performances since his return to the side in September after more than one year.

As reported by a Dainik Jagran journalist, Gill was originally part of India’s ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squad, as he was strongly backed by the team management, but some selectors were against his inclusion at the final stage, and this led to his surprise exclusion from the side.

Shubman Gill shockingly dropped from India’s ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squad at the last minute

Actually, much before the squad was officially announced, the Indian cricket team management had already prepared a clear plan for players expected to feature in the upcoming five-match T20 series against New Zealand and the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

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This plan was shared with the BCCI through an internal email during the recent T20I series against South Africa. The plan included a proper rest and training window for selected players to manage player workload carefully while keeping everyone match-ready for important games.

They were to be given a structured break from matches, followed by personalized training sessions based on individual needs. Additionally, the skill improvement and strength and conditioning were also part of the program, with the aim of keeping players physically fresh and reducing the risk of injuries during a busy international calendar.

India’s smart T20 World Cup preparation strategy

The idea was to strike the right balance between rest and preparation so players could perform at their best when it mattered most. The team management believed that this approach would help players stay sharp not just for the T20I series against New Zealand, but also for the T20 World Cup.

As part of this program, 14 players were identified, including Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, and Washington Sundar. Apart from them, Axar Patel, Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Varun Chakravarthy were also part of those selected players.

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However, Jasprit Bumrah was not included, as he is already following a separate and carefully planned fitness and workload program, as reported by the journalist.

Selectors’ role in Shubman Gill’s snub

Shubman Gill’s inclusion in this internal plan clearly showed that he was expected to be part of the T20 World Cup squad. Unfortunately, things changed and went against Gill during the final selection meeting at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.

Some selectors were not in favor of the right-handed batter’s selection, and he was eventually dropped from the squad at the last moment, despite being part of earlier plans. Not just that, Shubman Gill missed the final T20I match against South Africa due to a minor injury.

The reports suggested that the injury was not too serious, but the team management chose to avoid taking any risks with him because he was set to be part of the T20 World Cup squad.