T20 World Cup 2026 India squad: Did Gautam Gambhir's 'No Superstar' theory lead to Shubman Gill's last-minute exclusion?

India's squad for T20 World Cup 2026 was announced this Saturday (December 20) in the afternoon and contrary to expectations, there were shocks or surprises, depending on how you looked at the omissions. The most glaring absence in the squad was undisputedly Shubman Gill, having been the vice-captain of the side till the recent South Africa series.

When was the last time an Indian vice-captain was dropped from the World Cup squad after being given the role just a few months earlier? Gill's selection seemed a no-brainer due to the immense support he was given during the Australia and South Africa series. The Punjab batter was given a long rope, even with an in-form Sanju Samson waiting in the wings.

In fact, Samson was initially demoted to the middle order and then dropped, all in the bid to give Gill an extended run. Therefore, it seemed like the only debate would be about which of them would make the XI, and with the extended support Gill was getting, the vice-captain was in pole position to take the role. However, he had an awful 2025 with no fifties from 15 innings. Gill's form was dismal.

In such a scenario, past Indian team managements and selection committees would have still gone with Gill, given his emerging star status and brand value. After all, the desperation from BCCI and the national selectors to make him an all-format player quickly is what fast-tracked Gill's return to the T20I side with a vice-captaincy shield to boot. This is where head coach Gautam Gambhir's role becomes vital.

Gambhir has always been vocal about a 'No Superstar' culture and has often gone on record to express his displeasure at India's obsession for star cricketers. During his tenure, he along with chief selector Ajit Agarkar, have made some bold calls which allegedly include the Test retirements of Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

To be fair, Gambhir isn't a tactically strong coach and he relies more on man-management but being a temperamental person himself is what makes things difficult at times. Nevertheless, it is likely that Gambhir was the one strongly vouching for Gill's exit from the squad for two reasons. The first, obviously, is because he doesn't like to follow 'superstar cultures', which means that players with power are also not immune to getting the axe.

Secondly, Gill's absence would allow a greater balance to India's T20I squad. Jitesh Sharma, who enjoyed the benefits of the Gill-Samson debate, had to make way along with Gill but India was able to add back Rinku Singh. The biggest beneficiary of Gambhir's impulsive no-nonsense selection is Ishan Kishan, who led Jharkhand to their maiden SMAT Trophy just two days ago.

Kishan's selection is debatable and perhaps, it wouldn't have been a bad idea to have Gill in the squad. However, it seems like Gill, if in the squad, is a certainty in the XI. At least, that is the perception that is being built, even if it doesn't sound rational at the moment. Kishan's selection, however, means that he is the back-up keeper/opener, in case Samson doesn't get going.

While Gambhir has copped heavy criticism for a number of things, including his handling of the ODI setup with Kohli and Rohit, the head coach should be credited for taking the bold step of axing Gill. This one move has now allowed India to name what is arguably their best T20I squad at the moment.