Gill dropped, Kishan back for India’s T20 World Cup title defence

Published December 20, 2025
India’s Shubman Gill plays a shot during the third Twenty20 international cricket match between India and South Africa at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on December 14, 2025. — AFP/File
India’s Shubman Gill plays a shot during the third Twenty20 international cricket match between India and South Africa at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on December 14, 2025. — AFP/File

Test and one-day captain Shubman Gill could not find a place in India’s 15-member squad for next year’s home Twenty20 World Cup, but stumper-batter Ishan Kishan returned to the side on Saturday.

Gill has gone 18 innings in T20 Internationals without a 50 and missed Friday’s match against South Africa with a foot injury.

Sanju Samson has impressed in the limited opportunities and made a breezy 37 as Abhishek Sharma’s opening partner replacing Gill in Ahmedabad.

Kishan was recalled after the stumper-batsman led Jharkhand’s successful campaign in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, smashing a hundred in Friday’s final against Haryana.

The same squad will play a five-match home T20 series against New Zealand next month.

Jasprit Bumrah will lead India’s pace attack that also contains left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh.

Varun Chakaravarthy will spearhead the spin department, which also includes left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav.

India will also expect Hardik Pandya, their premier seam-bowling all-rounder, to play a crucial role in their title defence in the tournament to be played between February 7 to March 8 across eight venues in India and Sri Lanka.

India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper)

Opinion

Editorial

Afghan hostilities
Updated 28 Feb, 2026

Afghan hostilities

The need is for an immediate ceasefire and substantive negotiations, with the onus on the Taliban to rein in cross-border attacks.
Cutting taxes
28 Feb, 2026

Cutting taxes

PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s plan to cut direct taxes for businesses in the next budget acknowledges the strain...
KCR challenge
28 Feb, 2026

KCR challenge

THE Karachi Circular Railway is being discussed again. It seems that the project, or, rather, the hopes of it, are...
A collective effort
Updated 27 Feb, 2026

A collective effort

CONSIDERING the relentless wave of terrorist attacks Pakistan has been facing over the past few weeks, the...
Criminalising criticism
27 Feb, 2026

Criminalising criticism

ISLAMABAD seems to have developed quite a thin skin. A letter sent to the prime minister on Wednesday by leading...
Utter chaos
27 Feb, 2026

Utter chaos

THE PTI is in disarray. The lack of discipline within its ranks, which it has long refused to address, is finally...