Ricky Ponting Shubman Gill T20 World Cup snub: Australian great Ricky Ponting has put his weight behind Shubman Gill after the Indian Test and ODI skipper was snubbed from the T20 World Cup squad. Gill will be missing out on the second consecutive ICC T20 World Cup for India, and Ponting has cited the depth of the Indian team for the snub.
The BCCI shocked all with its decision to snub Shubman Gill from the ICC T20 World Cup squad. Shubman was not part of India’s T20I squad since the 2024 T20 World Cup, but later 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 side and was considered to replace Suryakumar Yadav at some point. However, after around 15 matches in 2025, Gill was finally dropped from the T20I side just ahead of the marquee tournament.
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Shubman Gill T20 World Cup omission: Ricky Ponting left baffled by snub
One of the biggest names in world cricket, who was left baffled by the snub of Shubman Gill from India’s squad, was former Australian captain Ricky Ponting. However, he too admits the last time he saw Gill batting in his full flow was in that tour to England.
However, Gill could not fire in after his T20I comeback and continued to disappoint despite multiple opportunities at the top of the order. His form remained very inconsistent, and he performed at an under-par strike rate, as a result of which he might have been shown the exit door.
“I couldn’t believe that. I mean, I know his recent form hasn’t been great in white-ball cricket. The last time that I really saw much of him play was the Test series against England in the UK, where he batted as well as I’ve ever seen anybody bat,” Ponting said on ICC Review.
Ricky Ponting lauds the depth of Indian cricket, citing Shubman’s snub
While Ponting felt that Gill’s snub surprised him, he also seemed stunningly pleased by the depth of Indian cricket, where they could afford to make a batter of Gill’s calibre wait for his chance to make it to a World Cup squad.
Gill’s return to the T20I setup had not only dimmed India’s numbers in the tournament but also affected Sanju Samson’s glorious run in T20s. Before Gill’s arrival, Sanju was firing at the top alongside Abhishek Sharma. Samson was benched for a prolonged period after three centuries in T20Is in 2024, which seemed unfair with the Indian gloveman.
“I think, one, I’m surprised, but two, it just shows the depth of Indian cricket. “If you can think that someone as good as Shubman Gill doesn’t get picked in a World Cup squad, then it goes to show how many good players they do have,” he added to the aforementioned source.
He further added that Indians are known for their wide talent pool, which he might have witnessed while coaching teams like the Delhi Capitals and the Punjab Kings in the IPL as well. This talent pool is something that makes them one of the favourites in every ICC tournament they play in.
Does Shubman Gill remain in the race for T20I captaincy after World Cup snub?
Shubman Gill was once considered to be the next Indian all-format captain. He is already the skipper in Tests and ODIs and was lined up to take over T20I captaincy from Suryakumar Yadav after the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Gill was hence named the vice-captain of the T20I side as well. However, after his snub from the T20 World Cup squad, does Shubman Gill yet stand a chance to be the all-format captain for India when he does not have a regular spot in the national team in the shortest format of the game?
Instead, Axar Patel has been named the vice-captain of the side for the upcoming T20 World Cup. If not Shubman, then who stands a chance to be India’s next T20I captain, as Suryakumar Yadav’s snub from captaincy after the World Cup is finalized, as per reports?
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