India's Shubman Gill reacts after bowled out by South Africa's Marco Jansen during the third T20 cricket match between India and South Africa in Dharamshala, India, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)
Only days after he said that Shubman Gill’s hyped up ascendency into the T20I squad and the subsequent drop from the World Cup team last week was a factor of the national selectors rectifying a mistake, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar pulled no punches as he explained the rationale behind the Punjab batter’s axe.
Gill has been found wanting since his return to the squad, directly as vice-captain for India’s Asia Cup in September 2025, 14 months after he had last played a T20I for the side in July last year.
Gill could not turn up with any significant contributions across 15 matches since, mustering a high score of 47. His South Africa series return after a neck spasm injury that ruled him out of the Test series and a three-match ODI series against the Proteas also went awry. After being dismissed for 4 off two deliveries, Gill returned a golden duck in the second match. In a tepid 118 chase in Dharamsala, Gill played too cautiously before losing his way and falling for 28 from as many deliveries.
The 26-year-old was soon revealed to have been nursing a toe injury before the fourth T20I in Lucknow and missed the last two games at the venue and in Ahmedabad last week. On Saturday, Gill was stunningly dropped from the squad as India opted to back wicket-keeper Sanju Samson as the front-line opener alongside Abhishek Sharma, with Ishan Kishan receiving the nod as the back-up opener.
When you pick some one excitedly on Test performance for T20s, this is what happens. Gill omission is basically selectors rectifying a mistake they made when they got a bit carried away after the England tour. #T20WorldCup
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) December 20, 2025
Manjrekar had soon reacted to the snub, insisting that the decision was a part of the selectors rectifying a mistake after being swayed by Gill’s supreme Test tour as captain to England earlier this year.
“When you pick someone excitedly on Test performance for T20s, this is what happens. Gill omission is basically selectors rectifying a mistake they made when they got a bit carried away after the England tour,” wrote Manjrekar on X.
On Tuesday, Manjrekar wrote another social media post wherein he explained the thought process behind Gill’s snub. With strike rates gaining prominence in the format, Manjrekar reckoned the struggling patch of nearly 20 games and the tendenancy to then rely on lower scoring rates to regain form will backfire for any side.
“He hasn’t got a single 50 in 20 innings. A stat often cited to suggest loss of form. T20s is & will always be about strike rates. The last thing you want is an out-of-form batter playing cautiously when he comes close to 50. This will lose you the game,” Manjrekar wrote on X without specifying any names.
He hasn’t got a single 50 in 20 inngs. A stat often cited to suggest loss of form. T20s is & will always be about strike rates. The last thing you want is an out of form batter playing cautiously when he comes close to 50. This will lose you the game.
It could well apply to India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav too, who has gone over 20 T20I innings without a half-century.
“I am sure everyone has seen this in their respective careers,” Suryakumar told reporters in Mumbai in a press conference in which India revealed their squad for the T20 World Cup. “I know what to do. I know where things are going wrong. I have got some time to work on it. We have the New Zealand series coming up and then the important T20 World Cup. You will definitely see Surya the batter,” he said.