Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 20 (ANI): During the announcement of India's squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 and the T20I series against New Zealand at home, the Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar spoke on Shubman Gill's omission from the side despite being the vice-captain the format since Asia Cup, saying that the team is looking at combinations at the moment with two top-order wicketkeeping options and continuity by handing back the VC duties to Axar Patel, who was playing this role while Gill had a hectic run in the red-ball and ODI sides from last year's home Test series against Bangladesh to ICC Champions Trophy this year.

Gill's omission from the side despite his elevation to vice-captaincy in T20Is and promotion to captaincy in Tests and ODIs this year was a major shock, even taking his current poor run of form into account. Ishan Kishan has been roped in as the second wicketkeeper-batter option alongside Sanju Samson, who will be opening the innings with Abhishek Sharma.

Speaking during the presser, Agarkar acknowledged Gill's quality as a cricketer, but said that he is currently 'short of a little bit of runs' and team wanted two wicketkeeping options at the top, hence explaining the decision to remove Jitesh Sharma, who was batting down the order as a wicketkeeper-batter who could finish matches.

'I mean, obviously, Shubman was the vice-captain; he is not in the team, so there will have to be somebody else as vice-captain. And Axar, before that, when Shubman was actually not playing the T20Is and playing Test cricket, when a lot of the T20Is used to clash, Axar was the vice-captain. So, that is about the vice-captain,' he said.

'About continuity, I mean, you are looking at combinations at the moment. If your keeper is going to bat at the top, our thought was to have another keeper, just in case there is a problem. At the moment, Jitesh was there, again, has not done too much wrong. I mean, Shubman, we know what a quality player he is, perhaps short of a little bit of runs at the moment. Unfortunate to miss out in the last World Cup as well, because we went with different combinations, but it's the combinations more than anything else,' he concluded.

The team was announced by the BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia at the board's headquarters on Saturday in the presence of captain Suryakumar Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar on Saturday.

Gill, who did not feature in the fifth and final T20I against South Africa due to a foot injury sustained before the fourth T20I, which was cancelled due to fog, has been dropped amid concerns about his fitness and form. Since his return to the side during the Asia Cup as a vice-captain on the back of a strong England Test tour, he could not replicate his fine Test form in T20Is, scoring just 291 runs in 15 matches and innings at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of above 137 with no fifties and a best score of 47.

Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma have been sealed as the opening pair for Team India, with Rinku Singh also making a comeback in the side, having last batted for India during the Asia Cup final and having hit the winning run. He also featured in a T20I against Australia at Brisbane in November, but did not get to bat as the match was washed out due to rain.

Ishan, who had a marvellous SMAT 2025/26 campaign with Jharkhand, leading them to their first-ever SMAT title, has returned to the side after last playing a T20I against Australia in late 2023. He top-scored in SMAT with 517 runs in 10 innings at an average of 57.44, with two centuries and two fifties, including a century in the final against Haryana and striking at above 197.

Tilak Varma, pace all-rounders Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, spin all-rounders Axar, Washington Sundar and Rinku Singh give a lot of firepower and depth to the Indian middle-order. Kuldeep Yadav is the specialist spinner with Varun Chakravarthy, while Jasprit Bumrah leads the pace bowling attack featuring Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.

India is placed in Group A alongside Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and the United States and will start its campaign against the USA on February 7 in Mumbai.

India's squad for T20 World Cup 2026 and New Zealand T20I series: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-capt), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (wk). (ANI)