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Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma were excluded from India's T20 World Cup squad on Saturday. (AP and CREIMAS for BCCI)
The huge news coming out of India’s T20 World Cup squad announcement on Saturday was the exclusion of Shubman Gill. Gill, who was appointed both the Test and ODI captain, had returned to the India T20I setup ahead of the Asia Cup in September as the vice-captain but couldn’t fire with the bat. As a result, Axar Patel who Gill had replaced as the vice-captain, was appointed captain Suryakumar Yadav’s deputy for the T20 World Cup.
Another omission from the squad was Jitesh Sharma who missed out due to India selecting Ishan Kishan as the second wicket-keeper batter and Rinku Singh also made his way into the squad which ruled out Jitesh who had looked solid in the recent South Africa series. Former India player Dinesh Karthik reacted to India’s World cup squad announcement, saying that there was a little lack of clarity. He, however, lauded the selected squad as one of the strongest heading into the tournament.
“The big news of the day: India World Cup T20 squad is announced and guess what? Shubman Gill, the current vice captain of the T20 team, incumbent opener has been dropped. Not just from the XI but from the squad. They wanted to bring in an extra opener and they brought in Ishan Kishan and dropped Jitesh Sharma as well. And instead of Jitesh Sharma, it’s gonna be Rinku Singh. That is huge news. Dropping Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma. I didn’t see it coming. Just tells you there’s a little bit of clarity lacking. They have backed Shubman Gill for so long and come the day they pick the squad, they have let him go,” Karthik said on Instagram.
“India looks a strong squad on paper no matter what names you add there, this team is a solid team. Across every skillset, they have the best in the world: best opener: Abhishek Sharma, best spinner: Varun Chakaravarthy, best allrounder in the world: Hardik Pandya, the best fast bowler ever maybe: Jasprit Bumrah. So with those 4 in the squad, you are going to have a strong XI walking into that World Cup. Couple of areas of vulnerabilities that India would have: For the first time ever in a T20 World Cup, they will have no experience of the greatest two that’s probably ever played in Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli in a World Cup team. And the second point would be Suryakumar Yadav’s form. But we all know how good he is. That vulnerable aspect will it change into a strength when he finds form? It definitely will. Well, let’s just finish by saying: Shubman Gill. Didn’t see that coming. And I feel really bad for Jitesh Sharma. 2 shocking omissions from this squad,” he added.
India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 7. They will then travel to Delhi to face Namibia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on February 12. That would be followed by the marquee clash against Pakistan at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium on February 15. India will round off their group stage by taking on the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 18.
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