India, Dec. 23 -- The fallout from India's T20 World Cup squad announcement continues. No one expected Shubman Gill, the designated vice-captain, to be dropped from the 15-member team for the 20-team tournament. But the selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, did just that. The right-handed batter, aged 26, did not set the stage on fire in the 15 T20Is he played in 2025, scoring 291 runs at a strike rate of less than 138. Gill made a comeback into the T20 fold in the Asia Cup, and his inclusion paved the way for Sanju Samson to be sidelined.

However, Gill failed to get going as an opener as he was unable to force the pace at the top, with the bulk of the responsibility falling on Abhishek Sharma's shoulders. Earlier, both Abhishek a...