‘Why drop Shubman Gill?’ Yograj Singh questions Agarkar-led selection panel over T20 World Cup call

• Shubman Gill was left out of India’s T20 World Cup squad despite being named vice-captain recently.

• Former cricketer Yograj Singh has strongly criticised the decision, calling it inconsistent and unfair.

• The omission has reignited debate over selection philosophy, backing players vs reacting to short-term form.

• Young players and leadership continuity are directly impacted by such last-minute calls.

India’s decision to exclude Shubman Gill from the T20 World Cup squad continues to stir controversy, with former India cricketer Yograj Singh launching a sharp attack on the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee. The criticism comes amid growing unease over how leadership roles and long-term planning are being handled.

Gill’s omission has surprised many within the cricketing fraternity, especially because he was recently appointed vice-captain for India’s T20I series against South Africa, signalling trust from the team management.

Yograj Singh’s sharp criticism

Speaking on a YouTube show with Ravish Bisht, Yograj Singh questioned the logic behind dropping a player who was part of the leadership group.

He argued that discarding a vice-captain after just a few low scores reflects poor planning, not performance-based selection. Singh pointed out that many Indian cricketers in the past were backed despite prolonged lean patches.

“What is the reason behind dropping him? Just because he failed in four-five innings?” Yograj asked, adding that inconsistency in selection can damage a player’s confidence and career trajectory.

Gill’s recent T20I numbers

Since returning to India’s T20I setup earlier this year, Gill featured in 15 matches, scoring 291 runs at a strike rate of 137.26. While the numbers are modest by T20 standards, selectors had still trusted him with a leadership role, raising questions about the sudden reversal.

Critics argue that if Gill was deemed unsuitable, the vice-captaincy decision itself should not have been made.

Impact on young players

Yograj Singh also warned about the message such decisions send to emerging cricketers. Citing Abhishek Sharma, he questioned whether young players would be dropped after just a few failures.