Last Updated: July 22, 2026 10:16 AM
Team India has gone through some major changes over recent months. A few friendly faces have quietly gone from the squad lately. This shift has sparked plenty of debate among fans and experts alike. Here’s a closer look at exactly who has been affected the most after Gautam Gambhir’s arrival.
- Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja has felt the impact of this new selection policy. He has been excluded from India’s current ODI setup entirely. Younger all-rounders and specialist spinners have clearly been preferred instead of him. Selectors appear focused on building future depth across the entire squad.
- Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami represents another major and genuinely surprising omission from the squad. He has fallen out of India’s plans across every single cricket format. Experts have openly criticized leaving out such an experienced match-winning bowler. He remains India’s leading wicket-taker in ODI World Cup history overall. His chances of featuring in the World Cup 2027 now look fairly slim.
- Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant is another name now missing from India’s white-ball squads. He is currently out of both the ODI and T20I setups entirely. Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are now select wicketkeepers in T20Is instead. KL Rahul remains the first-choice wicketkeeper within the current ODI batting lineup. His naturally aggressive batting hasn’t been enough under this new selection approach.
- Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma stands out as one of the biggest names impacted here. He stepped away from Test cricket during this transition period entirely. He also lost the ODI captaincy as part of a leadership shift. The team management emphasized youth and long-term planning throughout this process. Despite maintaining decent form, his removal from leadership sparked widespread public debate.
- Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is another senior player clearly affected by this restructuring phase now. The management pushed hard for a complete rebuild of the national side. Kohli retired from Test cricket during Gambhir’s coaching term. Fans found it really hard to accept the exit of such a legend. His exit is widely seen as part of a bigger generational shift underway.
