India's T20I captaincy conundrum: where does Shubman Gill fit after World Cup snub?
The vice-captain who was not needed
Three months ago, Shubman Gill was India's vice-captain in T20Is. Then came the T20 World Cup 2026 squad announcement, and his name was nowhere on it. No injury. No disciplinary issue. The selectors simply decided they could win the tournament without him.
They were right. Suryakumar Yadav's India steamrolled through the group stage, survived a test against England in the semi-final, and hammered New Zealand by 96 runs in the final at Ahmedabad. The three-peat is done. And Gill watched it from home.
The numbers tell a clear story
Gill's 2025 in T20Is was ordinary by his own standards. Across 15 innings, he managed 291 runs at an average of 24.3 with a strike rate of 137.3. For a format where intent is everything, those numbers did not scream "pick me." Chief selector Ajit Agarkar reportedly opted for more explosive options in Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh, both of whom offer acceleration from ball one.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir is said to have pushed for Gill's inclusion, but Agarkar held firm. That tension between coach and selector tells you something about how polarising Gill's T20I place has become within Indian cricket circles.
Captain of two formats, outsider in the third
The oddity of Gill's situation is hard to overstate. He leads India in Tests and ODIs. He took over the Test captaincy from Rohit Sharma in May 2025 and was handed the ODI reins in October. In the longer formats, he is India's future. In T20Is, the selectors do not seem to think he belongs at all.
Aakash Chopra has said bluntly that Gill is unlikely to become T20I captain and could struggle to get back into the squad. The reasoning is straightforward: India have committed to an aggressive T20 blueprint under Suryakumar, and Gill's game, for all its elegance, does not fit that template right now. His career T20I strike rate of 138.6 is respectable, but it does not stand out in a squad built around boundary-hitting from the first over.
What comes after Suryakumar?
The bigger question lurking underneath is succession. Suryakumar turned 35 in September 2025 and will be closer to 38 by the time the next T20 World Cup comes around in 2028. India cannot lean on him forever. Some reports suggest there was an understanding that Gill would return as T20I captain after the IPL, with Suryakumar expected to step aside. But India's three-peat changes the dynamics. Why would Suryakumar walk away now? And why would the selectors fix something that just delivered a World Cup?
Sanju Samson, fresh off his Player of the Tournament performance, has emerged as a realistic captaincy candidate if Suryakumar does step down. Samson captained Rajasthan Royals to the 2022 IPL final and has now proven himself on the biggest international stage. That path looked unlikely six months ago, but World Cups have a way of reshaping careers overnight.
IPL 2026 is Gill's audition
Gill will captain Gujarat Titans when the IPL begins on March 28. A strong tournament could put him back in the T20I conversation. But even if he scores mountains of runs, the fundamental question remains: does India's T20I setup actually need what he offers?
He is probably the most talented young batter India have produced in a decade. His technique against pace, his ability to bat long in Tests, his composure in high-pressure ODI chases are all top-tier. But T20 cricket has become a different animal, and right now, India's selectors believe they have better options for it. That might sting, but after a third consecutive T20 World Cup title, it is hard to argue with the results.
