Former selector claims Gautam Gambhir played key role in Shubman Gill’s T20 World Cup snub: 'Not known for continuity'

India’s T20 World Cup squad announcement on Saturday threw up a big surprise as Shubman Gill was left out, and Axar Patel was named the new vice-captain. Gill, who had returned to the T20I setup in September, was being pushed as an all-format player and a potential captain of all Indian teams. His success in England as Test captain probably fueled that decision.

However, Gill failed to replicate the same form in the shortest format despite getting consistent opportunities at the spot of his liking. Sanju Samson was forced to sacrifice his place to accommodate the youngster in the T20I side despite doing well over the past year. Gill managed only 32 runs in three matches during the recent T20I series against South Africa and has not scored a fifty in the last four months.

Gautam Gambhir behind Shubman Gill’s omission?

Now, a former national selector has claimed that head coach Gautam Gambhir played a key role in the decision to axe Gill. Speaking to PTI on condition of anonymity, the former BCCI selector said Gill’s comeback to T20Is itself was a “wrong move.” According to him, Gill was brought back mainly because of his strong performances in the England Test series.

He added that this decision came at the cost of Samson, who was in good form and had done nothing wrong to be dropped. The ex-selector also said that dropping Gill just five matches before the start of the T20 World Cup showed that the selection panel, led by Ajit Agarkar, was trying to correct an earlier mistake. He felt that the move had clear influence from head coach Gambhir.

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“If making him vice-captain for Asia Cup riding on his England Test heroics was a wrong move as Sanju (Samson) had done nothing wrong, the move to drop him just five games before the start of the T20 World Cup indicates that it is more of a course correction done by Agarkar’s panel. And the decision has more footprints of the head coach, who’s actually not known for maintaining continuity,” a former national selector told PTI.

According to the selection committee, Gill was dropped not because of his form but because the team management wanted a wicketkeeper at the top of the order, and with Samson already in the side, they found a suitable backup in Ishan Kishan.

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“He (Gill) was unfortunate to miss out on the last World Cup as well because, you know, we went to a different combination. But it’s the combinations more than anything else. Two keepers at the top, that’s the way we want to try. Someone has to miss out when you pick 15 and, unfortunately, it’s Gill at this point,” Agarkar explained.