Did Captaincy Save Suryakumar Yadav’s Spot In The T20 World Cup 2026 Squad?

India’s 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 was announced and to everyone’s surprise, captain of the ODI and Test setup Shubman Gill was not included in the side. Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar explained the reason stating that it’s the lack of runs and the team combination that has led to this decision.

“We know what a quality player he is, but, perhaps short of a little bit of runs at the moment,” chief selector Ajit Agarkar said in the press conference for India’s squad announcement.

“It’s unfortunate to have missed out in the last World Cup as well because we went with different combinations. But it’s the combinations more than anything else…Someone has to miss out when you pick 15 and unfortunately, it’s Gill at this point,” Agarkar added.

Now, as per PTI report, Suryakumar Yadav’s place in the team was saved because he is leading the side as his batting form hasn’t been good for quite sometime.

“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.

“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,” the report added.

Wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson is now likely to open the innings with Abhishek Sharma while Ishan Kishan has been included as the second choice wicket-keeper batter. Apart from him, Rinku Singh has also been called-up and Axar Patel was named SKY’s deputy for the tournament.

Also Read: Is Gautam Gambhir Behind Shubman Gill’s Exclusion From The T20 World Cup 2026 Squad?