Team India Squad For T20 World Cup 2026 Announced: Suryakumar Yadav To Lead, Shubman Gill Dropped

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February–March 2026.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced India’s 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, naming Suryakumar Yadav as captain for the global tournament. The much-awaited announcement was made at a press conference at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai by chief selector Ajit Agarkar and skipper Suryakumar Yadav.

The tournament will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February and March next year, with expectations running high as India aim to reclaim T20 World Cup glory on home soil. Alongside the World Cup squad, the selection committee also announced India’s squad for the upcoming limited-overs series against New Zealand.

Selectors said the team was chosen after detailed assessment of performances in the IPL and international cricket, with an emphasis on aggressive batting, fast bowling depth, and versatile all-rounders. The squad reflects a balance between experience and youth, the committee said.

Key changes: Shubman Gill, Jitesh Sharma dropped

One of the biggest talking points from the selection was the omission of Shubman Gill, whose form in T20 cricket has come under scrutiny since his return during the Asia Cup. Jitesh Sharma has also been left out of the squad.

Axar Patel has been named vice-captain, underlining the team management’s trust in his all-round abilities. Ishan Kishan returns to the national side after a long gap, having led Jharkhand to victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and scoring a century in the final.

In the bowling department, Washington Sundar will share spin responsibilities with Axar Patel, while Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy add variety to the spin attack. The pace unit will be spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah, supported by Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.

India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2026

Batsmen:
Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Verma, Rinku Singh

Wicketkeepers:
Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson

All-rounders:
Axar Patel (Vice-Captain), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube

Spinners:
Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy

Fast Bowlers:
Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana

India’s group and match schedule

A total of 20 teams will participate in the tournament, divided into four groups. India have been placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Netherlands, Namibia, and the USA.

India’s group-stage matches are scheduled as follows:

• February 7: vs USA
• February 12: vs Namibia
• February 15: vs Pakistan
• February 18: vs Netherlands

The opening match of the tournament will be played between Pakistan and the Netherlands on February 7, while the final is set to take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Matches will be hosted across five venues in India and three in Sri Lanka.

Groups for T20 World Cup 2026

Group A: India, Pakistan, Netherlands, Namibia, USA
Group B: Sri Lanka, Australia, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Oman
Group C: England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, Italy
Group D: South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, UAE, Canada

With Suryakumar Yadav at the helm and a power-packed squad selected, India will enter the T20 World Cup 2026 carrying strong expectations from fans, especially with home conditions expected to play a key role.