Just 15-20 hours ago, Shubman Gill, who was the vice-captain of the Indian team in the T20 series and was a part of the team for 3 consecutive series, was suddenly dropped from the T20 World Cup squad. The Indian squad for the World Cup was announced the day after the last match of the T20 series against South Africa and Gill did not find a place in it. As much as this decision was welcomed, everyone seemed equally surprised by it. Now an even more shocking revelation has come to light that the team management kept this decision hidden for 2 days and Gill was told just a few minutes before the announcement of the team.
The last match of the T20 series between India and South Africa was played in Ahmedabad on Friday 19 December. Gill was kept out of this match due to a leg injury and Sanju Samson was fielded. Samson scored 37 runs in just 22 balls, which was more than the 32 runs scored by Gill in 3 innings in this entire series. In such a situation, when the team was announced on Saturday, Gill’s name was out of the squad and Samson returned to the opening position again.
Although this decision seems right, but after suddenly being made the vice-captain of Team India during the Asia Cup, being made the opening batsman in place of Samson and being given support for 3 consecutive series, it is shocking to be suddenly dropped from the squad so close to the World Cup. But this decision will be even more shocking for Gill himself because this decision regarding him was taken only 48 hours ago but captain Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir kept this thing hidden from him, whereas Gill was with the team till the last T20 match.
In a report by news agency PTI, it has been claimed that after Gill suffered a leg injury before the fourth T20 match in Lucknow, the team management and selection committee had decided that Gill would not be in the World Cup squad. But neither the coach nor the captain told him about it at that time. Even Gill’s injury was not very serious and he was ready to play in the last match with painkiller injection but the decision was taken to keep him out and the reason for this was also the same but he was not told.
In such a situation, Gill was with the squad the whole time and also came on the field to give water to the players during the match. It has also been told in the report that the information about Shubman Gill’s exclusion was given by chief selector Ajit Agarkar. According to the information, after the selection committee meeting on Saturday afternoon, a few minutes before the team was to be announced, Agarkar called Shubman Gill and informed him about this decision.
Will the relationship between Gill and Gambhir deteriorate?
Many questions have started arising from this revelation and many types of apprehensions are being raised. Why did Gambhir, Surya and Agarkar keep Gill in the dark? If this decision was already taken then why was he retained in the squad despite his injury? Will Gill’s sudden removal not affect his relations with the coach and selector in ODI and Test formats? Gill was made the captain of the ODI and Test teams this year.
Where till now the atmosphere of the team in Test and T20 was being said to be good and in ODI the atmosphere was being said to be bad because of Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli. But now due to Gambhir hiding the decision like this, won’t Shubman Gill’s relations with him get spoiled and won’t it affect the atmosphere of the Test team too? These are such questions which will remain constant for some time to come and many types of revelations or claims will be made in the times to come.
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