Former Indian cricketer Madan Lal has opened up on Shubman Gill's exclusion from India's 2026 T20 World Cup squad, hoping that he was informed about the selection committee's decision well in advance.
Gill did not find a place in India's 15-member squad for the mega event scheduled to take place in February and March next year.
He highlighted that Indian cricket has followed a similar pattern of letting players know of their exclusion from a future series or tournament, emphasising the need for transparent communication when it comes to safeguarding a player's morale.
“Look, in Indian cricket this is usually how players are informed that they are not part of the squad. I hope someone must've called him. At least there should be that much courtesy. The chairman of selectors should call and say 'sorry, you are not part of the team'. That kind of communication looks appropriate, and even for the player, it feels better. It may not feel good to hear it, but at least it’s something to know that 'yes, they called me and informed me',” shared Lal in an interview with KADAK.
Lal underscored how the broader consensus till sometime back was to make Gill an all-format captain. However, he proceeded to mention that the views of the captain-coach duo concerning a player's form matter more than people understand while selecting a squad for a global event such as a T20 World Cup.
“Just two or three months ago, we were thinking that Shubman Gill should be made captain in all three formats. You know, this up-and-down phase keeps happening in international cricket. Yes, if Gill had been in good form and scored good runs, then maybe he could've been selected. But it depends on the captain and the coach. Their views matter a lot, especially when a World Cup team is being selected,” he added.
Gill's T20I numbers for India in 2025 were underwhelming. He could register only 291 runs in 15 matches at an average of 24.25 and strike rate of 137.26.
The Men in Blue have appointed Axar Patel as Suryakumar Yadav's deputy for the marquee event. The squad was announced at the headquarters of the Board of Control for Cricket in India in Mumbai on Saturday, December 20.
