Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD
Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just
Selectors weigh form and balance as India finalise T20 World Cup plans
The Statesman Siliguri
|December 20, 2025
India’s T20 World Cup squad will be finalised on Saturday in Mumbai, with selectors expected to back a largely settled core that will also feature in the five-match home T20I series against New Zealand beginning 21 January.
While most selections appear straightforward with the tournament just weeks away, a handful of calls, particularly around form, balance and squad depth, remain sorted.Gill’s form vs long-term faith: Shubman Gill's place in India’s T20 plans is being tested by a prolonged dip in returns, even if there seems no real threat to his place in the World Cup squad.
Despite failing to score a T20I half-century in the last 18 innings, his projection of being the next leader could save him from being axed, and his form could be ignored as a short-term worry. With the bat, impactful contributions have been rare from the 26-year-old, with the 28-ball 47 against Pakistan at the Asia Cup in September, his comeback series, standing out more as an exception than a trend.
This story is from the December 20, 2025 edition of The Statesman Siliguri.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Statesman Siliguri
The Statesman Siliguri
DoT showcases 5G growth, local innovation in 2025
India’s telecommunications sector recorded significant progress in 2025, marked by rapid 5G expansion, sharp growth in internet penetration, and major strides toward technological self-reliance, according to the Year End Review released by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on Friday.
1 mins
December 20, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
Bhagwat addresses RSS centenary meet
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat on Friday addressed a Prabuddha Nagarik Sammelan held at the Uttar Banga Marwari Bhavan here as part of the organisation's centenary celebrations.
3 mins
December 20, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
India-Oman trade pact to improve market access, create jobs: Industry
The signing of the India-Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is a major milestone in India’s trade and economic engagement with the Gulf region which would significantly improve market access, create jobs, and open new opportunities for Indian companies across goods and services, according to trade experts.
1 min
December 20, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
Kantha: Ambitious but deeply flawed
Playing an actor from the 1950s, Dulquer Salmaan is supposed to do a lot of hammy acting while the camera rolls in the film within a film.
2 mins
December 20, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
PM to inaugurate multi-crore infrastructure projects in poll-bound Bengal, Assam
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit poll-bound West Bengal and Assam over the weekend, where he will lay foundation stones, inaugurate multi-crore infrastructure projects, and address public rallies.
1 mins
December 20, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
Abhishek to visit Sebaashray 2 campin Budge Budgetoday
Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamul Congress MP from Diamond Harbour and the party's national general secretary, will visit a Sebaashray 2 camp in the Budge Budge Assembly constituency tomorrow.
1 min
December 20, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
India’s net direct tax collections records robust growth of 8 per cent
India’s net direct tax collections for the financial year 2025-26 have recorded a robust growth of 8 per cent, reaching Rs 1705 lakh crore as on 17 December 2025, according to data released by the Income Tax Department.
1 min
December 20, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
Agartala sees Tipra Motha protest over B’desh remarks on North-east
The youth wing of the Tipra Motha Party (TMP), an ally of the BJP government in Tripura, on Friday, held a strong protest in front of the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission (AHC) in Agartala, condemning recent remarks by leaders of the neighbouring country allegedly claiming India's Northeast region.
1 min
December 20, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
India’s forex reserves climb $1.69 billion
India’s foreign exchange reserves went up by $1.689 billion to $688.94 billion for the week ending on December 12, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said on Friday.
1 min
December 20, 2025
The Statesman Siliguri
NPG reviews 8 infra projects under Gati Shakti
The 105th meeting of the Network Planning Group (NPG) on Friday reviewed eight major infrastructure projects including seven rail and one road aimed at strengthening multimodal connectivity and improving logistics efficiency under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan.
1 min
December 20, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size