India head coach Gautam Gambhir found himself at the centre of a growing storm after a video of him refusing to comment on Shubman Gill's exclusion from the T20 World Cup 2026 squad began circulating widely on social media.
The incident unfolded at Delhi airport, moments after the selectors unveiled the 15-member squad, a list that stunned many by leaving out Gill - India's vice-captain in Tests and ODIs.
As Gambhir arrived, reporters immediately surrounded him, pressing for his views on the omission. The former opener, however, chose silence. He walked straight past the cameras, ignored repeated questions and left in his car without offering any reaction. The brief clip quickly went viral, adding fuel to an already intense debate around selection,
form and leadership within the Indian setup.
#WATCH | Indian Men's Cricket Team Head Coach Gautam Gambhir arrives in Delhi
- ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2025
BCCI today announced India’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. pic.twitter.com/RbqVtaixyR
Gill's exclusion marked a dramatic fall for a player who had recently returned to India's T20I plans during the Asia Cup, where he replaced Sanju Samson at the top of the order. While the move initially signalled confidence, Gill failed to capitalise. Across 15 T20I innings, he managed 291 runs at a strike rate of 137.26, without a single half-century. His highest score - 47 against Pakistan - underlined the lack of a defining knock.
Injuries further dented Gill's case. A toe issue ruled him out of the final T20I against South Africa, opening the door for Samson, who grabbed the opportunity with a fluent 37 off 22 balls. The selection panel ultimately backed Samson, pairing him with Abhishek Sharma at the top, while also naming Axar Patel as vice-captain under Suryakumar Yadav.
What raised eyebrows further was the contrast with Suryakumar Yadav's own numbers. India's T20I skipper has endured a prolonged lean run, scoring just 218 runs in 19 innings this year at a strike rate of 123.2 - statistically his poorest phase in international cricket. Yet, unlike Gill, he retained his place.
A PTI report suggested that leadership, rather than performance, proved decisive. "SKY, who by virtue of being the skipper, kept his place despite a horrific one-year run, while Gill suffered as his game didn't seem as impactful as Abhishek Sharma's," the report stated.
The same report also carried a warning that no position is permanently safe under Gambhir. "Anyone who knows Gambhir knows that for him, 'winning is not everything but the only thing'. Today it was Gill, tomorrow it could be Suryakumar," it added.
For now, Gambhir's silence has only amplified the conversation - and made Gill's omission one of the most talked-about selection calls in recent times.
