Shubman Gill was omitted from India’s 15-member squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup in Mumbai on Saturday. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the team which will be deputised by Axar Patel, who missed the last two T20Is against South Africa.
The bowling will be led by ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who will have the likes of Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana for support. Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav will lead the spin bowling department. Hardik Pandya and Axar will offer all-round balance.
Sanju Samson, who played in the final T20I against South Africa, was picked as one of two wicketkeepers along with the returning Ishan Kishan. Jitesh Sharma was omitted from the squad.
Rinku Singh, who hit the winning runs in the Asia cup final in September and was one of the standbys in India’s 2024 World Cup-winning campaign, has been included.
India will play a five-match T20I series against New Zealand at home starting on January 21 which will be their final assignment before the World Cup.
They will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 7.
They will then travel to Delhi to face Namibia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on February 12.
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That would be followed by the marquee clash against Pakistan at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium on February 15.
India will round off their group stage by taking on the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 18.
Squad: 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)