Shubman Gill Left Out of Aakash Chopra’s Alternative T20 World Cup Squad

India batter Shubman Gill has faced another setback in his T20 career after being excluded from former opener Aakash Chopra’s alternative T20 World Cup squad. The omission comes shortly after Gill was left out of India’s official 15-member squad for the tournament beginning on February 7.

Chopra, now a prominent cricket analyst, selected an alternative squad comprising players ignored by the senior selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar. Notably, Gill did not feature even in this list, despite being India’s T20I vice-captain until last month.

Explaining his decision, Chopra said the current team narrative does not favour a traditional anchor in T20 cricket. “If the Indian team doesn’t need an anchor, why will I pick one?” Chopra said, referring to Gill’s batting style. He added that Gill’s strengths are better suited to Test and ODI formats under the present thinking.

Gill’s exclusion from the official squad had already raised eyebrows, especially after wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan earned a recall following a title-winning century for Jharkhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final. Agarkar later clarified that Gill’s ability was not in question, but team balance and the need for a backup wicketkeeper influenced the decision.

India is set to open with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, with Kishan as reserve. Gill’s return to the T20I side during the Asia Cup earlier this year had disrupted the Samson–Abhishek opening combination, pushing Samson into the middle order and limiting opportunities for finishers like Rinku Singh.

Despite extended backing, Gill struggled to secure his spot, scoring 291 runs in 15 T20Is at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26.

Chopra’s alternative squad features aggressive options such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul, reinforcing the shift towards high-tempo batting in India’s T20 plans.