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Ricky Ponting Shubman Gill snub for T20 World Cup: Australian great Ricky Ponting has thrown his weight behind Shubman Gill after the Indian Test and ODI skipper was snubbed from the T20 World Cup squad. Gill will miss India’s second consecutive ICC T20 World Cup, and Ponting cited the depth of the Indian squad for the snub.
The BCCI shocked everyone with its decision to snub Shubman Gill from the ICC T20 World Cup squad. Shubman was not part of the Indian T20I squad since the 2024 T20 World Cup, but then made a comeback under Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar in 2025.
Not only did Gill make a comeback, but he was also named the vice-captain of the Indian T20I team and was considered to replace Suryakumar Yadav at one point. However, after around 15 matches in 2025, Gill was finally dropped from the T20I squad just before the showpiece tournament.
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Shubman Gill T20 World Cup omission: Ricky Ponting left perplexed by snub
One of the biggest names in world cricket, who was baffled by Shubman Gill’s snub from the Indian team, was former Australian captain Ricky Ponting. However, he too admits that the last time he saw Gill hitting at full tilt was on that England tour.
However, Gill was unable to fire after his return in the T20I and continued to disappoint despite being given multiple opportunities at the top of the order. His form remained very inconsistent and he played at a below average strike rate, which could have shown him the exit door.
“I couldn’t believe it. I mean, I know his recent form hasn’t been great in white-ball cricket. The last time I really saw him play was in the Test series against England in the UK, where he batted as well as I’ve ever seen anyone bat,” Ponting said on ICC Review.
Ricky Ponting praises depth of Indian cricket, citing Shubman snub
While Ponting felt Gill’s snub surprised him, he also seemed incredibly pleased with the depth of Indian cricket, where they could afford to keep a batter of Gill’s caliber waiting for his chance to join a World Cup team.
Gill’s return to the T20I setup had not only dampened India’s numbers in the tournament but also affected Sanju Samson’s glorious run in T20s. Before Gill’s arrival, Sanju was shooting at the top alongside Abhishek Sharma. Samson was benched for an extended period after three centuries in T20Is in 2024, which seemed unfair to the Indian gloveman.
“I think firstly I’m surprised, but secondly it just shows the depth of Indian cricket. “If you can think that someone as good as Shubman Gill is not selected in a World Cup squad, it shows how many good players they have,” he added to the aforementioned source.
He further added that Indians are known for their vast talent pool, which he could have witnessed while also coaching teams like Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings in the IPL. This talent pool makes them one of the favorites in every ICC tournament they participate in.
Does Shubman Gill remain in the race for T20I captaincy after World Cup snobbery?
Shubman Gill was once considered to be the next Indian captain in all formats. He is already a skipper in Tests and ODIs and was set to take over as T20I captain from Suryakumar Yadav after the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Gill was therefore also made the vice-captain of the T20I team. However, after his snubbing of the T20 World Cup squad, does Shubman Gill still have a chance to be India’s all-format captain when he doesn’t have a regular place in the national team in the shortest format of the game?
Instead, Axar Patel was named the vice-captain of the team for the upcoming T20 World Cup. If not Shubman, then who stands a chance of being India’s next T20I captain as Suryakumar Yadav’s refusal to captain after the World Cup is finalized, according to reports?
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