Unlike many other pundits and ex-cricketers, Ravichandran Ashwin wasn’t surprised by Shubman Gill’s snub from the 2026 T20 World Cup squad. Ashwin, in fact, felt it was only a ‘formality’ when the opener
got injured before Friday’s fifth T20I against South Africa, leaving the door open for Sanju Samson.
Gill had replaced Samson as the opener before the 2025 Asia Cup, with the latter shifted to the middle order. Both didn’t perform per expectations, but while Samson was dropped, Gill was backed till the third T20I against South Africa. Overall, although he clearly tried to fit into the uber-aggressive model at the top of the order, his numbers had an overwhelming look to them: 291 runs in 15 innings at a strike-rate of 137.26.
Ashwin said that ultimately, Gill couldn’t fit into the model that was heralded successfully by former skipper Rohit Sharma.
“Obviously, Shubman Gill had been given a lot of backing,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, Ash Ki Baat. “The selectors showed a lot of faith because he was directly appointed vice-captain. Right now, it has become very very clear as to what looks like a very very good combination. I believe the feedback should also have come from Indian team management because we have to remember that India changed their style of play inside the powerplay. Rohit (Sharma) had shown it in the last World Cup. And that’s the style they wanted to continue. And Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma personify that particular passage and pattern of play.”
“Actually, this is irrelevant. I have said before that the combination and formula will change. And that’s what has happened. I am not surprised. Because I think the way it was going and we also talked that you should give the next two T20s if he is available. Unfortunately, Shubman got injured and the way he got injured and Sanju came into the side, it was only a formality that this was going to happen,” Ashwin added.
Interestingly, there’s not much difference between Gill’s powerplay strike-rate in 2025 — 147.77 — and Samson’s in the same phase in 2024 — 147.31 — when he was regularly opening. It’s the conversion part where Gill has suffered, managing only three fifties and one century in 36 matches as an opener, when Samson has scored three tons and another fifty in half the games.
