India Squad for T20 World Cup 2026: Shubman Gill has been dropped from the World Cup 2026 squad. Axar Patel has been made the vice-captain. Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh make their way into the team
Gill, has been brought into the T20I side after a fruitful Test series in England. He replaced Sanju Samson, who was in superb form. However, Gill, who has been opening since the Asia Cup in September, has given quite average returns and is yet to score a half-century in 15 innings.
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The other point of discussion will be around whether the selectors want to go with Rinku or Sundar. With the tournament played in the subcontinent, if the Head Coach Gautam Gambhir is happy with the finishers Hardik Pandya and Jitesh Sharma, selectors might be tempted to go with multi-dimensional player Sundar instead of Rinku.
India squad for WC: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (WK), Tilak Varma
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India’s T20 World Cup squad: No surprises in store, but Shubman Gill’s form to be discussed when selectors meet
India’s Shubman Gill walks off the field after bowled out by South Africa’s Marco Jansen during the third T20 cricket match between India and South Africa in Dharamshala, India, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashwini Bhatia)
The BCCI’s senior selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, is meeting this afternoon to finalize India’s squad for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, which begins on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka. While the squad is largely expected to remain consistent with the successful unit led by Suryakumar Yadav, there is significant debate surrounding Shubman Gill’s recent dip in form at the top of the order and how it has forced Sanju Samson into an ineffective middle-order role. Additionally, selectors are weighing whether to prioritize the finishing skills of Rinku Singh or the multi-dimensional all-rounder capabilities of Washington Sundar, particularly given the spin-friendly conditions expected in the host nations. (Read more from Devendra Pandey)