How Shubman Gill Became Gautam Gambhir’s First Major Victim Of ‘End of Star Culture’ Era

Ajit Agarkar’s selection committee and head coach Gautam Gambhir dropped Shubman Gill from India’s squad XI for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Many fans and cricket experts believe the head coach is very serious about performances for selection and does not care about star power.

Gill is a big name in Indian cricket. The right-handed batter is the captain of Team India in ODIs and Tests. He was the vice-captain of the Indian team during the T20I series against South Africa in December. However, the Punjab batter was not considered for the T20 World Cup, and Axar was named vice-captain.

Gautam Gambhir’s ‘No Star Culture’ Philosophy Explained

Gautam Gambhir believes Indian cricket gives too much importance to individuals over the team. He rejects hero worship regardless of reputation or past success. Gambhir wants fearless, high-risk cricket and expects players to attack from the first ball.

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Established stars no longer enjoy guaranteed spots if their style does not match the team’s aggressive plan. If a player cannot adapt to fast, attacking cricket, Gambhir is willing to leave them out.

For Gautam Gambhir, only current performance and match situations matter. Every player, whether new or senior, must contribute to winning games. This rule applies to everyone, including the biggest names in the team.

Why Shubman Gill Became The First High-Profile Casualty

Shubman Gill is often seen as an all-format leader of Indian cricket, but his T20 performances have raised questions. He usually takes time to settle, which has become a drawback in a format where teams expect openers to attack from the very first ball and push totals beyond 200.

Modern T20 cricket now favours aggressive starters like Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, who keep the scoring rate high in the powerplay. Gill’s batting style is not aligned with current demands.

Gautam Gambhir’s call was based on numbers, not reputation. He focused on Gill’s powerplay strike rate, which lagged behind the standards. Gill became the biggest name to be dropped, as Gambhir prioritised impact and match-winning intent over brand value.

Shubman Gill’s T20I Performance (Year-wise):

Sanju Samson To Be The Next To Feel The ‘No Star Culture’ Heat

Sanju Samson has been under pressure as the next big name to watch. The wicketkeeper-batter has plenty of talent, but his biggest problem has always been inconsistency.

Earlier, team management dropped Samson without clear reasons. Gautam Gambhir wants regular impact and does not like players who show flashes of brilliance and then throw their wickets away.

Samson has stayed in the squad so far, but his place is not secure. During the warm-up match against South Africa, Ishan Kishan opened the innings, while Sanju Samson did not get a chance to bat despite India using eight batters.

Also read: Tilak Varma brutally bashes Arshdeep Singh inside the dressing room for this reason