Dropped after 4-5 innings? Yograj Singh defends Shubman Gill after T20 World Cup snub
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Dropped after 4-5 innings? Yograj Singh defends Shubman Gill after T20 World Cup snub")
Dropped after 4-5 innings? Yograj Singh defends Gill after T20 World Cup snub Photograph: (Instagram)
Yograj Singh questions India’s decision to drop Shubman Gill from the T20 World Cup squad, defending the vice-captain and comparing the move with past selectors backing of senior players.
Former India cricketer Yograj Singh has strongly criticised the Indian selectors for leaving Shubman Gill out of the T20 World Cup squad, questioning why a player once trusted as vice-captain was dropped after a brief dip in form. Speaking on a YouTube show with Ravi Bisht, Yograj said Gill deserved more backing, especially after being elevated to leadership responsibilities not long ago. He felt the selectors showed little patience with the young batter, something Indian cricket has rarely done in the past.
“Shubman Gill is a vice-captain. What is the reason behind dropping him? Just because he failed in four or five innings?” Yograj said. He added that several Indian players in the past were given long runs despite inconsistent performances. According to him, Gill should have been treated no differently.
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Yograj also raised questions about how young players are handled, using Abhishek Sharma as an example. He asked whether the same harsh standards would be applied if Abhishek went through a lean patch.
Taking the debate further, Yograj dragged Kapil Dev into the discussion, revisiting an old episode from Indian cricket history. He claimed that during a tour of Pakistan, Kapil Dev continued to play despite not performing with either bat or ball. Yograj said then-captain Bishan Singh Bedi still backed Kapil and even took him on the subsequent tour of England, showing faith during a difficult phase.
Gill was omitted from India’s T20 World Cup squad announced on December 20, a decision that surprised many. He had been recalled to the T20I side after a year and was named vice-captain during the Asia Cup. India also broke up the opening partnership of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma to accommodate Gill at the top, but the move did not pay off.
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Since his return, Gill scored 291 runs in 15 T20Is at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26, without a single half-century. As India searched for the right combination, Samson was pushed down the order and later dropped.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar clarified that Gill was not dropped due to lack of quality but because of team combination needs. Ishan Kishan was later recalled on the back of strong domestic performances. Gill will continue to lead India in ODIs and Tests and is set to captain the side in the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand.
