Dropping gill

New Zealand T20I: Former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik was shocked after the exclusion of India's Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill from the T20 World Cup 2026 and the New Zealand T20I series. Along with Gill, Karthik also expressed his disappointment at the removal of Jitesh Sharma from the squad.

The squad was announced by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, captain Suryakumar Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar on Saturday, and Axar Patel was named as the vice-captain. Ishan Kishan makes a remarkable comeback after showcasing explosive form while leading Jharkhand to victory in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Rinku Singh also returns to the T20I squad after missing out on the 3-1 series win in South Africa.

Karthik admitted surprise at Shubman Gill’s exclusion and expressed disappointment over Jitesh Sharma missing out, terming both as shocking omissions from the squad.