The most shocking exclusion from the 15-person line-up for the assignment is that of Shubman Gillwho was the designated vice-captain in the series against Australia and that against South Africa, while Axar was removed. However, the all-rounder is making a comeback as Suryakumar’s deputy, as board secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed while reading out the selection.
The squad also includes important names like Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Sanju Samson. Abhishek Sharma will be seen opening the batting alongside Sanju Samson. Meanwhile, India’s highest wicket-taker in the format – Arshdeep Singh – will also form the side’s bowling core alongside Harshit Rana, while mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy and left-arm unorthodox from Kuldeep Yadav are the specialized spinners.
Besides Samson, Ishan Kishan is also a wicketkeeping option for the Men in Blue and will be rewarded for his stellar run in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 where he also achieved the highest score (517 runs in 10 matches) while also leading Jharkhand to their maiden title. However, going by the recent line-ups, it can be assumed that Jitesh will be favored in the Playing XI. Rinku Singh has also made a comeback in the Indian team.
The 2026 T20 World Cup will be played in a league format, with 20 teams divided into four groups: A, B, C, D, each consisting of five teams. India, who have been placed in Group A, will face United States of America, Namibia, Pakistanand the Netherlands to complete their group stage campaign. If they manage to finish in the top two of Group A, the Men in Blue will progress to the Super 8s.
In the Super 8s, the top two teams from each group face three different sides from the other groups. The top four teams at the end of this stage will then advance to the semi-finals. The winners of each of the two semi-finals will compete against each other in an epic battle for the grand final on Sunday, March 8.
India squad for 2026 T20 World Cup
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah.
T20 World Cup 2026 — India Group Stage Match Schedule, Schedule, Venues, Dates, Times
| Date | Agreement | Time (IST) | Location |
| February 7 | India vs USA | 7:00 PM | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| February 12 | India vs Namibia | 7:00 PM | Arun Jaitley Stadium, New Delhi |
| February 15 | India vs Pakistan | 7:00 PM | R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo |
| February 18 | India vs Netherlands | 7:00 PM | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
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