Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has questioned the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee after Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma were left out of India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026.
Karthik believes the decision reflects a lack of clear planning, especially after Gill was given a long run and even named vice-captain of the T20I team.
Speaking on Instagram, Karthik admitted he did not expect either player to be dropped from the squad.
“India’s T20 World Cup squad has been announced, and guess what? Shubman Gill, the current vice-captain of the T20 team and the incumbent opener, has been dropped not just from the XI but from the squad,” he said. “They wanted to bring in an extra opener, so they brought in Ishan Kishan and dropped Jitesh Sharma as well. Instead of Jitesh Sharma, it’s going to be Rinku Singh.”
The former RCB cricketer felt the sudden changes showed a lack of clarity and added: “That is huge news, dropping Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma. I didn’t see that coming. It just tells you there’s a little bit of clarity lacking. They backed Shubman Gill for so long, and when it came to picking the squad, they let him go.”
Karthik believes India still have a strong squad, featuring players such as Abhishek Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Varun Chakravarthy. However, he also pointed to areas of concern within the team.
“There are a couple of areas of vulnerability that India will have for the first time ever in a T20 World Cup. They will not have the experience of two of the greatest players ever, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, in a World Cup squad. The second concern would be Suryakumar Yadav’s form, but we all know how good he is, despite that vulnerability,” he added.
Also read:Shubman Gill dropped from India’s T20 World Cup squad, Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh in
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