Men’s T20I World Cup 2026: INDIA Announced Squad For World Cup And NZ Series

India's 15-man team for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 and the 5-match T20I series against New Zealand 2026, which will take place in India and Sri Lanka in February and March of next year, was announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on December 20, 2025. 

Vice-captain Shubman Gill and wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma were also left out of the selection, which included some daring and unexpected choices. However, Ishan Kishan was given a recall to the national T20 squad due to his exceptional domestic performance.

Key Omissions: Gill and Jitesh

Shubman Gill, who was the vice-captain of India's T20I team until recently, is likely the most talked-about figure absent from the roster. Gill's recent record drop and lack of significant contributions in the shortest format looked to work against him, despite his importance in India's limited-overs structure. As a result, selectors had to make the difficult decision to drop him from the World Cup squad.

Jitesh Sharma also failed to get a position beside Gill. Other keepers beat the wicketkeeper-batter, who was useful with both the bat and glove.

Ishan Kishan: A Return to the Big Stage

Ishan Kishan, who rejoins the India T20 team after a stellar performance in domestic cricket, especially in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), where he gathered runs and contributed significantly to Jharkhand's title victory with 517 runs in 10 innings, will take Jitesh's place as the secondary wicketkeeper.

Kishan is an attractive choice because of his aggressive batting and shown abilities behind the stumps, particularly in a tournament where power hitting and fast starts are highly valued. Many people believe that his recall was appropriate and well-timed, supporting India's goals for greater batting strength and mobility.

India Squad For T20I World Cup 2026 And New Zealand T20I Series

Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel (vc), Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Rinku Singh

 

Also Read

Men’s T20I World Cup 2026: Sri Lanka Announce Their Preliminary Squard