Ex-India cricketer calls Shubman Gill snub 'damage control', says selectors 'got carried away'

Sanjay Manjrekar didn’t just react to India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad—he took to X to frame it as a tacit acknowledgment of a previous error. In a sharp post, Manjrekar suggested that Shubman Gill’s omission isn’t a bold move but a corrective step by selectors trying to fix a misstep made after the England tour. That reference to England is significant: Gill had an extraordinary 2025 Test series there, scoring 754 runs, a tally that could dazzle even the most form-conscious decision-makers.

Yet, Manjrekar’s observation is stark: success in Tests does not automatically guarantee a place in T20 cricket, especially in a World Cup season where defined roles carry more weight than reputations. India’s squad selection reflects this thinking clearly. The team carries two wicketkeeping options—Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan—both capable of opening. There’s a high-powered opening option in Abhishek Sharma and a late-innings finisher in Rinku Singh, signalling the selectors’ focus on specialists for distinct phases of the game.



Even Ajit Agarkar’s explanation echoes this logic. He spoke of being “short of little runs” and highlighted the need to balance combinations—opting for a keeper at the top comes at the cost of excluding a pure batter. This reasoning becomes more compelling when Gill’s recent T20I form is considered: he hasn’t scored a fifty in his last 18 innings and has also been managing a foot injury. What may have begun as an emotional misstep is now a pragmatic correction.

Manjrekar’s post underscores a broader shift in India’s approach: the squad is no longer about picking the 15 best players, but about filling 15 pre-defined roles for the tournament. The management has made it clear that even high-profile players can be left out if the team blueprint leaves no room for them. This philosophy prioritises structure and role-specific strategy over star power, signalling a calculated, methodical approach for the World Cup.


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