India's T20 World Cup squad had space for only 15, but the pool of quality options ran far deeper. The consequence was inevitable: several players with genuine claims were left on the outside, the unlucky ones who narrowly missed the cut.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill's indifferent form is a massive concern but the national selection committee is unlikely to make any shocking changes when it picks the 15-member squad for next year's T20 World Cup in Mumbai on Saturday.
Shubman's T20I series participation against South Africa doubtful; Samson, Jaiswal contenders for the slot
Virat Kohli on Sunday said his spectacular journey so far has been nothing sort of a dream come true as he is able to "give so much happiness and smile to so many people"
Gill back in full flow, Hardik opts out of practice ahead of SA T20I series
Skipper Shubman Gill, who missed the second Test due to a neck injury, struck a defiant tone of unity and resolve after India's 0-2 series loss to South Africa, saying the team would "rise stronger" despite the setback.
'I want to be conventional and also blend with out-of-box thinking. Want to have nice balance...'
Shubman Gill retired hurt after suffering a neck sprain while attempting a slog-sweep off Simon Harmer on the second day of the first Test against South Africa, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
The indefatigable duo of Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Siraj is expected to be the big talking point on Saturday when the selectors pick a 15-member Indian ODI squad for a three-match series against New Zealand starting January 11 in Vadodara.
India's new Test captain Shubman Gill is a mix of his predecessors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli but he will be 'very much his own man' in the middle, said Jos Buttler.
Jason, who also served as Pakistan's head coach in 2024 from April to December, was interacting with his followers on X handle.
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav acknowledged his recent lean patch and expressed confidence in returning to form ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.
India captain Shubman Gill has been discharged from the hospital in which he was receiving treatment for a neck injury sustained during the opening Test against South Africa in Kolkata.
Shubman Gill has gone past the 50-run mark just once in his last 11 innings, failing in three successive series -- against Bangladesh, New Zealand and Australia.
The national selectors brought back wicketkeeper-batter Kishan along with Rinku Singh while dropping Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill who has been struggling in the T20 format.
When players select themselves, the selectors' job becomes delightfully simple. But did the Indian selectors have that luxury while picking the T20 World Cup squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup? asks K R Nayar.
Sanju Samson boasts of a superb record in T20 Internationals, with 995 runs in 51 matches at a strike rate of 147.40, including three centuries and as many fifties.
Shubman Gill has struggled for consistency in Test cricket, averaging 35.05 for a tally of 1893 runs in 32 Tests, with five centuries and seven fifties.
IMAGES from the first ODI played between India and New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday
Gill has been repeatedly linked with names like Sara Tendulkar and Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan.
Ishan Kishan's selection in the Indian Cricket Team for the T20 World Cup Squad has brought immense joy to his family. His father, Pranav Pandey, expressed his excitement about his son's addition to the squad, stating, "Ups and downs are part of sports, but he's worked hard for it."
India all-rounder Axar Patel was on Monday ruled out of the remaining two T20 Internationals against South Africa due to illness with the BCCI's selection committee naming Shahbaz Ahmed as his replacement.
Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing first Test against South Africa after he continues to be under observation in a Kolkata hospital for a neck injury.
Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill was fined Rs 12 lakh after his side maintained a slow over-rate during their seven-wicket win over Delhi Capitals.
BCCI AGM: Kohli, Rohit's contracts, payments for women in domestic cricket to be discussed
Gill, too, has found the going tough. The opener has scored 263 runs in 14 T20Is this year, without a single fifty.
While the white-ball trophy cabinet kept getting heavier, Team India's fortunes in Test cricket swung wildly between hope and despair in 2025.
India's staggering, unwanted run of consecutive ODI toss losses extended to 20 matches.
Ganguly lauded Gill's leadership during India's tour of England, noting the challenge of captaining at a young age in such conditions
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has denied speculation that the Board has approached batting great V V S Laxman to take over as Team India's Test coach and replace Gautam Gambhir.
Shubman Gill might just want to be fit enough to bat, as even a half-fit skipper is seen as more effective than Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran or Sarfaraz Khan.
It is understood that right after India's abject surrender against South Africa in the two-Test series at home last month, someone who matters in the cricket board had once again informally approached VVS Laxman to check if he would be interested in coaching the red ball team.
For the first time since 2012, India walked off Eden Gardens on the wrong side of a Test result. A tricky pitch, a chaotic chase, and the absence of captain Shubman Gill combined to hand South Africa a 30-run win that reshapes the WTC race.
India clinched the five-match T20I series against Australia 2-1 after the fifth and final game was abandoned due to rain, in Brisbane, on Saturday.
Gautam Gambhir slammed critics who had advocated for split coaching for Team India after the recent Test series defeat against South Africa
India's T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill will be reporting at Bengaluru's Centre of Excellence on Monday for his mandatory fitness assessment protocols, which will determine his return to action for the upcoming five-match series against South Africa starting December 9.
Asked about losing yet another toss, Gill quipped, 'I think the only toss that I'm going to win is hopefully in the WTC finals.'
The Indian selectors will be announcing the team for the three-match ODI series against the Black Caps, starting January 11 in Vadodara and there have been speculations about whether Pant can hold on to his place in the squad.
Speaking on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan, Mukund, who represented India in seven Tests from 2011-17, said: "I think Shubman has it in him to become an all-format captain, but I do not think India should have an all-format captain anymore."
Save Shreyas Iyer, who will take a lot more time to get fit, others are expected to represent their state teams.
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