'Written In My Destiny': Team India Skipper Shubman Gill After Being Dropped For T20 World Cup 2026

T20 World Cup 2026: After being left out of the T20 World Cup 2026 squad, India's ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill said on Saturday that he respects the selectors' decision and will try to contribute to the best of his ability whenever he gets the opportunity. 

What next for Gill?

Gill was not selected in the Team India squad for the T20 World Cup next month, but the 26-year-old will continue to lead India in the other two international formats of the game. Gill has scored 869 runs in 36 T20 Internationals for India, with an average of 28.03 and a strike rate of 138.59.

What did Gill say?

Before the first ODI of the three-match series against New Zealand, Gill said, “I am where I am supposed to be. No one can take away what is written in my destiny. A player always believes that he will give his best for the country. The selectors have made their decision. I always try to live in the present, it makes life easier.” 

India will play three ODIs and five T20 matches before the T20 World Cup, which begins on February 7. 

“My debut happened when we last played ODIs against New Zealand, and I always cherish that day,” Gill said.

“No format should be considered easy. If you look at it, the Indian team hasn't won a 50-over World Cup since 2011. So, no format is easy, and it requires a lot of hard work and determination,” he added. 

Gill said he had to miss the second Test against South Africa last November and the subsequent ODI series because he had to spend two days in the hospital due to a neck injury sustained on the second day of the first Test in Kolkata.

“It's never easy to miss a match and watch the team play. As a captain, there's a lot to do, you have to build momentum and capitalize on it,” the Indian captain said. 

Gill also emphasized the importance of preparation when switching between formats. 

“In the last two Test series, we didn't have enough time to prepare. Even if we had won against South Africa, it wouldn't have made much of a difference. For me, preparation is very important. We didn't have enough time before the South Africa and West Indies series. It's good to have time to prepare for red-ball cricket after playing white-ball cricket,” he said.