The snub hasn’t been forgotten. And with a new IPL season just around the corner, all eyes are back on Shubman Gill: bat in hand, a point to prove, and something to say to the selectors who left him out.
It’s a different matter that India didn’t quite miss him in the T20 World Cup. With the top guns blazing – Sanju Samson led from the front – Gill did seem an outlier in T20 discussions. Now, on a different stage, Gill will be eager to assert himself.
Cheteshwar Pujara thinks that T20 World Cup omission could be exactly the fuel Gill needs heading into IPL 2026. The Gujarat Titans skipper has never quite nailed down a spot in India’s shortest-format side, despite making his mark in Tests and ODIs. This IPL, many feel, is his clearest shot at changing that.
It’s not like Gill has had a quiet year. He led India to a 2-2 draw in England, contributed with the bat, and looked every bit the player people expected him to become. But momentum has a way of slipping. A neck injury in the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata slowed things down, and when he came back for the T20Is, the returns were modest.
So here he is, with IPL 2026 a week away, needing a big one.
Pujara said the World Cup squad snub would definitely fire Gill up, describing him as a quality player suited to all three formats, and added that a strong IPL season would surely put his name back in contention for the T20I side.
Gill’s IPL story has been one of steady growth.
He came up through Kolkata Knight Riders, then found his footing at Gujarat Titans, quietly at first, then emphatically.
Pujara isn’t shying away from the pressure factor. His message to Gill was direct — accelerate. Show the selectors what they’ve been missing.
As for Gujarat Titans themselves, Pujara likes what he sees. Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler make for a top order that can hurt any attack on its day. Jason Holder adds teeth to the side.
With the ball, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna lead a pace attack that looks genuinely threatening, backed by Ishant Sharma’s experience, Luke Wood’s versatility, and young Ashok Sharma waiting in the wings.
The former champions have the pieces. Whether they put it all together (and whether Gill grabs his moment) is what the next few weeks are for.
Also Read: Why Writing Off Shubman Gill After Two T20Is Says More About Us Than Him https://www.vibesofindia.com/why-writing-off-shubman-gill-after-two-t20is-says-more-about-us-than-him/
