Shubman Gill's exclusion from the T20 side has raised eyebrows as the Indian Test and ODI skipper was omitted from the squads for the series against Ireland and England despite having a stellar season in the IPL. 

Gill is coming off a fantastic season in the IPL after being dropped from the T20I side in January. He scored 732 runs for the Gujarat Titans at a strike rate of 163.02 with six half-centuries and a century. Despite his brilliant run, Gill was not included in the T20I squads announced by the chief selector Ajit Agarkar on Saturday, June 6.

A source from the BCCI has stated that Gill's exclusion comes on the back of workload management and keeping him fresh with the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind, where Gill will lead the side. 

“The selectors are concerned that there shouldn't be a burn-out case with Gill. The communication is clear that he needs to be fit for these two ICC assignments. Plus, he will play the IPL where he leads the Gujarat Titans," a BCCI source told the press, as reported by the Hindustan Times.

India is set to play 35 ODIs in the lead-up to the tournament, with Gill's workload management being a concern. The batter suffered neck spasms in the first Test against South Africa in November 2025, which forced him to miss the second Test and the subsequent three-game ODI series. Keeping this in mind, the selectors want to prioritise his role in the longer format.

"There is still a lot of time left for the two marquee T20 events in 2028. For Gill, the focus is on the immediate future. Two years from now, no one knows which player will be in what form or fitness. So this is the play till the 2027 ODI World Cup," the source further added.

Gill scored a brisk 126 off 177 balls in the one-off Test against Afghanistan. This was his 11th Test century and 6th as captain of the side.