Gill left out of India's T20 World Cup squad; Rinku, Kishan makes a comeback

[raki05]

51 minutes ago, rkt.india said:

Because he wasn't doing well. He has not done anything great in T20Is.

As you know entire team selection is based on ipl, iyer was the best performing ipl captain also won ipl for kkr and took punjab kings to final. He completely transformed his batting in loi format. When sky can play test cricket on the basis of ipl why can’t Iyer play t20.

[Need4Speed]

Good job letting go of Gill.I have criticized selectors in the past but should appreciate today for making this call.

[PSB_Zone]

What is the point making axar vice captain when u hv Hardik and bumrah.

 

Same like Gill. 

Straight in the squad and vice captain.

[vvvslaxman]

1 hour ago, Gollum said:

Sundar is a waste of a spot in this format, I would have gone for Parag. 

True. But my guess is they want to free up some overs for Bumrah in the middle overs and end overs. Let us look at the power play performance of Axar and sundar. Both didn't bowl a lot this season

 

Last match Sundar was good on a road

 

PP spin bowling by INdia in 2025

 

Axar patel  8 overs 76 runs  9.50 ER

Sundar 5 overs 48 runs  9.6 ER

Bishnoi 3 overs 29 runs 9.66 ER

Varun C  14 overs 99 runs 7.07 ER

 

 

Although Varun C is good in PP i don't want us to waste his potency there. He is needed in middle overs

 

In 2024 Sundar was decent in PP

 

5 overs 22  4.40 ER

 

It also tells us India is not going to play both Kully and Varun C in the same match.

 

Our over structure should be in such a way that Bumrah and Varun C should share atleast 5 overs in the last 10 overs. Cannot be any less than that. 

 

[Gollum]

2 minutes ago, vvvslaxman said:

True. But my guess is they want to free up some overs for Bumrah in the middle overs and end overs. Let us look at the power play performance of Axar and sundar. Both didn't bowl a lot this season

 

Last match Sundar was good on a road

 

PP spin bowling by INdia in 2025

 

Axar patel  8 overs 76 runs  9.50 ER

Sundar 5 overs 48 runs  9.6 ER

Bishnoi 3 overs 29 runs 9.66 ER

Varun C  14 overs 99 runs 7.07 ER

 

 

Although Varun C is good in PP i don't want us to waste his potency there. He is needed in middle overs

 

In 2024 Sundar was decent in PP

 

5 overs 22  4.40 ER

 

It also tells us India is not going to play both Kully and Varun C in the same match.

 

Our over structure should be in such a way that Bumrah and Varun C should share atleast 5 overs in the last 10 overs. Cannot be any less than that. 

 

Axar is VC, guaranteed starter. Playing Sundar means dropping one of the frontline bowlers or going one batsman short. 

[tapandrun]

4 minutes ago, PSB_Zone said:

What is the point making axar vice captain when u hv Hardik and bumrah.

 

Same like Gill. 

Straight in the squad and vice captain.

 

Axar will play in 11 regardless if he VC or not , he is only spinner who can take bowl away from RHB and he can bat too. If there was a wrist/leg-spinner who could bat like him than Axar had 0 chances of playing. 

 

They had him as VC before they picked Gill. May be do not want to show that they will only gave vc if gill was there 

 

 

 

[gattaca]

What has Axar done to be vice captain lol ? Pandya should be VC.So Axar will play every match now ? 

Edited December 20, 2025 by gattaca

[tapandrun]

7 minutes ago, vvvslaxman said:

True. But my guess is they want to free up some overs for Bumrah in the middle overs and end overs. Let us look at the power play performance of Axar and sundar. Both didn't bowl a lot this season

 

Last match Sundar was good on a road

 

PP spin bowling by INdia in 2025

 

Axar patel  8 overs 76 runs  9.50 ER

Sundar 5 overs 48 runs  9.6 ER

Bishnoi 3 overs 29 runs 9.66 ER

Varun C  14 overs 99 runs 7.07 ER

 

 

Although Varun C is good in PP i don't want us to waste his potency there. He is needed in middle overs

 

In 2024 Sundar was decent in PP

 

5 overs 22  4.40 ER

 

It also tells us India is not going to play both Kully and Varun C in the same match.

 

Our over structure should be in such a way that Bumrah and Varun C should share atleast 5 overs in the last 10 overs. Cannot be any less than that. 

 

 

This is in General not specific to Sundar ::--Not sure how many times will you trust an Off-spinner to bowl in PP when there are 2 RH batters , not sure how many time would you trust an Off-spinner to be able to complete the 4 overs.

 

Most/all teams uses a proper batter to bowl off spin when a LH batter is batting or when RH batter are batting they are taking a gamble and trying to play on batters ego/taking a punt, if thats does not wrk out there is no need to bowl that bowler again. This is how other teams look at off-spinning options.

 

 

I think Ind PP overs will be structured around::: Bhumrah :: 2 , Arsh :: 2, Hardik :: 1-2, Dube/Varun :: 1. They can decrease Bhurah to 1 and may be hardik and dube bowls 1 extra over.

 

Ind should have tried Abhishek , should have kept him ready. He was a proper bowler can bowl when there are RH batters in PP

 

 

 

[PSB_Zone]

16 minutes ago, tapandrun said:

 

Axar will play in 11 regardless if he VC or not , he is only spinner who can take bowl away from RHB and he can bat too. If there was a wrist/leg-spinner who could bat like him than Axar had 0 chances of playing. 

 

They had him as VC before they picked Gill. May be do not want to show that they will only gave vc if gill was there 

 

 

 

I don't think, Axar position is fixed.

Kuldeep can play in place of him

 

And he won't play in place of rinku or dubey as 4 specialist bowler plus pandya are already there.

 

Edited December 20, 2025 by PSB_Zone

[putrevus]

48 minutes ago, Gollum said:

Arshdeep did deliver in last WC. He has a good T20I WC record. How many better pacers can you name from other countries? 

They were played on very bowler friendly wickets, I don't think he is going to have same pitches and success in India.

 

Plus dew factor, I don't see him do that much here.

 

VC and Bumrah have to deliver every match.Can they do it and will it be enough.

Edited December 20, 2025 by putrevus

[Lone Wolf]

39 minutes ago, Gollum said:

Anyway can't do much anymore. Got to back these boys. Hope SKY, Washi, Rana, Ishan prove most of us wrong and we become the 1st team to defend a T20 WC. If SKY performs in a couple of group games, captains and fields well, I will take that. 

 

Enough quality in our squad to bulldoze the rest of the field. Bas thora luck chahiye. 

I would have loved a round robin format for this one.

Too many teams..

Real competition starts from Super 8.

Team that peaks late will end up winning.

[tapandrun]

2 minutes ago, PSB_Zone said:

I don't think, Axar position is fixed.

Kuldeep can play in place of him

 

And he won't play in place of rinku or dubey

Axar has shown he can perform under pressure and in big games, not that common to Ind players.

 

[cowboysfan]

the inclusion of Rinku gives us a great chance of playing both Kully and Varun with Axar as spinners on turning tracks. 

[cowboysfan]

5 hours ago, bowl_out said:

Finally sense prevails. Good team selection. Look at the line up as two players at a time.

 

Openers:

1. Abhishek

2. Samson (back up opener -Kishan)

 

Middle order:

3. Tilak

4. SKY 

 

5. Dube

6. Rinku 

 

Lower order/all rounders

7. Hardik

8. Axar (back up : Washington)

 

Bowlers 

9. Varun (back up : Kuldeep)

10. Arshdeep 

11. Bumrah (back up : Rana)

Kuldeep is backup of Arshdeep .

[Suhaan]

3 hours ago, raki05 said:

Hope we had Parag or someone else in place of Sundar… Sundar is useless on top of it his fielding is worst than Chakarbarti!!

Sundar ka kuch samjh nahi aata

Kabhi lagta hai top material for tests and manageable odi player

Aur kabhi no format ,bits and pieces cricketer lagta hai

[vvvslaxman]

30 minutes ago, tapandrun said:

 

This is in General not specific to Sundar ::--Not sure how many times will you trust an Off-spinner to bowl in PP when there are 2 RH batters , not sure how many time would you trust an Off-spinner to be able to complete the 4 overs.

 

Most/all teams uses a proper batter to bowl off spin when a LH batter is batting or when RH batter are batting they are taking a gamble and trying to play on batters ego/taking a punt, if thats does not wrk out there is no need to bowl that bowler again. This is how other teams look at off-spinning options.

 

 

I think Ind PP overs will be structured around::: Bhumrah :: 2 , Arsh :: 2, Hardik :: 1-2, Dube/Varun :: 1. They can decrease Bhurah to 1 and may be hardik and dube bowls 1 extra over.

 

Ind should have tried Abhishek , should have kept him ready. He was a proper bowler can bowl when there are RH batters in PP

 

 

 

Keeping Bumrah in the backend is also psychological advantage as teams plan around it which can trigger mini collapse in the middle overs. I don't trust Pandya in death overs. He was whacked around by Shaheen afridi in one match. In another match someone else. You will need atleast 2 overs from Boom and Arsh in the backend. In power play they can go with this structure   

 

ARshdeep

Bumrah

Arshdeep

Pandya

Axar/Sundar

Varun C

 

This way Boom has 3 out of remaining 14 overs. Varun C has 3 out of 14 overs. 

[Suhaan]

1 hour ago, raki05 said:

As you know entire team selection is based on ipl, iyer was the best performing ipl captain also won ipl for kkr and took punjab kings to final. He completely transformed his batting in loi format. When sky can play test cricket on the basis of ipl why can’t Iyer play t20.

Both Iyer (strike rate 133 in IPL quite poor,had 194 this year )and Parag(141) , although not their fault, should have been provided with games to make an opinion about them

They have announced this side 50 days in advance,means they will try to give as many games to this bunch as possible ,Iyer is a peculiar case ,wasn't that great in t20s before this IPL,they have gone with tried and tested T20 specialists rather after RoKo

Parag has to be in that plane to SA27,he is going to be a crucial member there

Need to develop him for it

[tapandrun]

6 minutes ago, vvvslaxman said:

Keeping Bumrah in the backend is also psychological advantage as teams plan around it which can trigger mini collapse in the middle overs. I don't trust Pandya in death overs. He was whacked around by Shaheen afridi in one match. In another match someone else. You will need atleast 2 overs from Boom and Arsh in the backend. In power play they can go with this structure   

 

ARshdeep

Bumrah

Arshdeep

Pandya

Axar/Sundar

Varun C

 

This way Boom has 3 out of remaining 14 overs. Varun C has 3 out of 14 overs. 

 

Yes , need Bhumrah at back-end and may be to mix up opp. batting plan need his 3 overs out side PP so they make some mistake in pushing that tgr.

 

Ind most likely do this:::

Arsh 2 overs, Bhumrah 1 over and in these 3 overs if they get 1 wkt they may push 1 more over from Bhumrah to get 1 more wkt. Else 3 over are done here.

 rest 3 will come from Axar, Varun , Pandaya, Dube.

 

Again they should have tried Abhishek, a lot of LA orthodox bowls in PP with some degree of success, yes some are just specialist like Akeel and Imad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[helperononline]

Making Axar vice captain is a mistake otherwise good selection overall.

[cowboysfan]

South Africa exposed big chinks in both Surya and Jaiswal's batting,they are not bowling on Sky's body or leg side and Jaiwsal is struggling with balls on the 6th and 7th stump line and lack of good footwork is hampering him.the immediate concern is Sky's form on how he will counter with balls only on his offside as he just cant score at all at the moment.