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Ricky Ponting ‘couldn’t believe' Shubman Gill got snubbed from India's T20 World Cup squad: ‘I’m surprised'
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting weighs in on Shubman Gill being left out from India's T20 World Cup squad.
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting was left “surprised” upon hearing about Shubman Gill's exclusion from India's T20 World Cup squad. The 26-year-old, who was parachuted as the vice-captain into the T20I scheme of things in September 2025 with the Asia Cup, failed to set the stage on fire, not even hitting a single fifty in the 15 matches he played, with his highest score being 47. The poor run of form and an under-par strike rate forced the hand of the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, and in the end, India's Test and ODI captain was shown the door.
Ever since Gill returned to the playing XI, and as the vice-captain, the social media chatter was against him, as the public opinion turned against the batter from Punjab. The matter was made worse, considering Sanju Samson had to warm the bench despite hitting three T20I centuries in 2024.
Gill was expected to score runs for fun in the T20 format, considering he was coming on the back of a haul of 754 runs in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England. However, the selectors once again paid the price for mixing formats.
No one expected Gill not to make the cut in the T20 World Cup, but everyone, including Ponting, was left shocked when Agarkar and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia made the shock announcement.
Also Read: Irfan Pathan fires strong verdict on Shubman Gill–Virat Kohli comparisons: ‘He is fully capable of it’
“I couldn't believe that. I mean, I know his recent form hasn't been great in white-ball cricket. The last time that I really saw much of him play was the Test series against England in the UK, where he batted as well as I've ever seen anybody bat. I think, one, I'm surprised, but two, it just shows the depth of Indian cricket,” Ponting said on ICC Review.
“If you can think that someone as good as Shubman Gill doesn't get picked in a World Cup squad, then it goes to show how many good players they do have,” he added.
‘Depth outstanding’
Gill played a total of 15 T20Is in 2025, scoring 291 runs. In the last series he played against South Africa, Gill recorded scores of 4,0 and 28, and he then missed the last two matches. The fourth game was abandoned due to excessive fog, while the fifth one saw Gill missing out as he injured his toe during a net session.
The fifth and final T20I saw Sanju Samson replacing Gill and the former ended up scoring 37 runs off 22 balls, which was enough for the team management to settle the debate.
Ponting feels that a player like Gill being kept out just shows the talent pool that is available in India and this makes them favourites for every ICC tournament.
“India's depth around the country, as we know, is outstanding and every ICC event that comes up, you've got to put them right up near the top just because there are so many good players to choose from,” said Ponting.
