Yograj Singh, the father of former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh, has voiced his strong disapproval of Shubman Gill's exclusion from India's squad for the T20 World Cup 2026. Gill, who had been appointed vice-captain in the previous year, was dropped despite his status as a key player in India's setup. The decision came after a period of poor form in the shortest format of the game, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) opting to replace him with Axar Patel as vice-captain for the upcoming tournament.

Yograj Singh, never one to shy away from speaking his mind, slammed the selectors for not showing enough support for the young batter, pointing out that the decision to drop him seemed hasty given his previous standing in the team. In a passionate interview with Ravi Bisht on YouTube, Yograj expressed his frustration over the constant cycle of discarding players after a few bad performances.

“Shubman Gill is a vice-captain. What is the reason behind dropping him? Just because he failed in 4-5 innings? Indian cricketers have had so many players who have barely managed to perform in 10 matches out of 100 opportunities,” Yograj said, questioning the logic behind the selectors' decision.

He continued, “They still played; you already know the reason why. Young Abhishek Sharma arrived a couple of years ago. If he fails four innings, will you drop him as well?”

Yograj didn't stop there. He invoked the name of one of India’s greatest cricketers, Kapil Dev, to highlight how even legends go through lean patches and still receive backing from the team management. Yograj recalled the time when Kapil was struggling with both bat and ball but was consistently supported by captain Bishan Singh Bedi during their tours in the 1980s.

"Let me give you an example of the ‘great' Kapil Dev," Yograj said. "When we toured Pakistan with Bishan Singh Bedi as captain, Kapil Dev continued to play matches despite failing with bat and ball. But Bishan Singh Bedi still took him on the subsequent tour of England."

Through this comparison, Yograj made the point that players like Gill, who have shown promise, should be backed through rough patches, rather than being dropped after a few failures.

Meanwhile, Shubman Gill has been reflecting on the year gone by. Despite the setback with his exclusion from the T20 World Cup squad, Gill took to social media to share his gratitude for the lessons and experiences of 2025. He posted a heartfelt message on his official Instagram account:

Gill's optimism reflects his determination to move forward and look ahead to new opportunities, even as the T20 World Cup 2026 looms on the horizon.