Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the 15-member Indian squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from 7 February. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the side, while Shubman Gill has been dropped following a string of low scores since his comeback in the Asia Cup.
Changes and Key Returns
Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma have been left out of the squad. In their place, Axar Patel has been named vice-captain, and Ishan Kishan makes a comeback after a stellar performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he led Jharkhand to the title and scored a century in the final. Kishan will serve as a backup wicketkeeper and an opening option.
Rinku Singh, who was sidelined during the South Africa series, also returns to the squad. Other batsmen selected include Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma. The team features four all-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Shivam Dubey. The spin attack will be led by Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy, while the pace department includes Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana.
Indian Squad for T20 World Cup 2026
- Suryakumar Yadav (Captain)
- Abhishek Sharma
- Tilak Varma
- Sanju Samson (Wicketkeeper)
- Ishan Kishan (Wicketkeeper)
- Shivam Dubey
- Rinku Singh
- Hardik Pandya
- Washington Sundar
- Axar Patel (Vice-Captain)
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Harshit Rana
- Arshdeep Singh
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Varun Chakravarthy
Group and Schedule
India has been placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, USA, Namibia, and the Netherlands. India will open their campaign against the USA on 7 February, followed by matches against Namibia on 12 February, Pakistan on 15 February, and the Netherlands on 18 February.
Defending champions India have won every T20 series since their last World Cup triumph, but no team has successfully defended the T20 World Cup title so far.
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