IND vs NZ: Shubman Gill finally reacts to his T20 World Cup 2026 snub with massive 'written in my destiny' statement

Indian ODI skipper Shubman Gill reacted to his exclusion for T20 World Cup 2026 while addressing press-conference.

Indian ODI captain Shubman Gill has finally opened up on his exclusion from the squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The ODI and test captain faced a shocking snub when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the tournament.

Ahead of India’s first ODI against New Zealand on Sunday, Gill addressed the media. As questions continue to be raised over his omission from the T20 setup, Gill showed maturity in accepting the call. With his recent form in the shortest format not being at its best, the team management opted for a different team combination. Axar Patel replaced Shubman Gill as the vice-captain to T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav.

“I respect the selectors’ decision. All the best to the team for the T20 World Cup. I am where I have to be and whatever is written in my destiny no one can take that from me. A player always believes he will try his best for the country and the selectors have taken their decision,” Gill told reporters.

Shubman Gill shifts focus to ODIs as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli return

While the T20 World Cup is less than a month away, attention now turns to the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, where Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are set to be the main crowd-pullers. Both veterans have been in fine touch, scoring heavily in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 and proving that they are still very much at the top of their game.

Shubman Gill’s return to the ODI side is likely to see Yashasvi Jaiswal make way at the top, despite the youngster’s maiden ODI century against South Africa. The comeback of Shreyas Iyer is expected to bring much-needed stability at No.4, ending a phase of experimentation in the middle order.

KL Rahul continues as the first-choice wicketkeeper, keeping Rishabh Pant out of the XI, while Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya have been rested to stay fresh for T20 duties.

In the bowling department, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna will lead the pace attack, with Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja handling spin.

The first game will be played at the new Baroda Cricket Association Stadium in Kotambi. For New Zealand, led by Michael Bracewell, the tour offers a chance to test their bench strength, even as they field a solid batting line-up.

As India prepare for a packed schedule and the looming T20 World Cup, all eyes will be on how Shubman Gill responds on the field after his high-profile omission.

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