Former India wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani believes Shubman Gill should have been included in India’s 15-man roster for the forthcoming T20 World Cup, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 9.
Kirmani claimed that the selectors should not have overlooked Shubman’s performance in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in the United Kingdom, where he finished as the leading run-scorer. The former also stated that there should be more information as to why a player was not selected.
“You must withstand and overlook these fluctuations without sidelining a player who performed well in earlier matches. His excellent form, outstanding innings, especially the iconic one in England against England, shouldn’t be ignored. You see, as poor form occurs, that doesn’t necessarily mean removing the player from the team. So, if he was dropped because of his form, don’t think it was the right call,” Kirmani said on IANS.
“However, there should be clarity when a player is not selected or is dropped. There’s a difference between not being chosen and being dropped, and reasons—such as personal issues—should be shared, similar to how foreign players or the selection committee communicate.”
‘There is so much competition for him’ – Syed Kirmani on Rishabh Pant’s white-ball future
Rishabh Pant also couldn’t make it to the side for the T20 World Cup. He has not played T20I cricket for India since July 2024. Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are the two wicketkeeping options India are carrying into the marquee event. However, Pant has been in the ODI setup as a backup for KL Rahul.
Kirmani expressed his doubts over Pant’s future in white-ball cricket, saying that there are a lot of talented wicketkeepers competing for a place in the side.
“He (Pant) has got a lot of age behind him, and he is a talent in abundance. There is no two ways about it. So he cannot be overlooked. But at the same time, there is so much competition for him. There are four or five wicket-keepers. You cannot overlook their performance either,” said Kirmani (via the aforementioned source),” Kirmani said.
And off and on, he has not been very consistent in meeting the team’s requirements. So that doesn’t mean that he should be sidelined totally. As and when he is in good form, he can be brought in at any time,” he concluded.
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