The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India’s 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 during a press conference at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Saturday.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar and India captain Suryakumar Yadav addressed the media after the selection meeting concluded.
The announcement confirmed that the icc t20 mens t20 world cup team announced will also compete in the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.
India’s squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Announced [Live]
Press Conference Delayed
The press conference started later than scheduled due to Captain Suryakumar Yadav arriving late at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.
The selection meeting between Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar had concluded before the announcement was made.
Both officials discussed key selection decisions during the meeting.
Gill Dropped from Squad
The biggest talking point from the selection was the exclusion of Shubman Gill from the squad.
The selectors expressed concerns about Gill’s recent form in T20 cricket, where he has struggled to score runs consistently.
Gill had been serving as vice-captain of the T20I team. However, the selectors decided to drop him completely from the squad for the World Cup.
All-rounder Axar Patel has been named as the new vice-captain of the team.
India’s T20 World Cup 2026 Squad
The complete squad features Suryakumar Yadav as captain and includes two wicketkeepers.
The 15-member team is:
- Suryakumar Yadav (captain)
- Axar Patel (vice-captain)
- Abhishek Sharma
- Tilak Varma
- Hardik Pandya
- Shivam Dube
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Arshdeep Singh
- Varun Chakravarthy
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Harshit Rana
- Washington Sundar
- Rinku Singh
- Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper)
- Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper)
The squad includes five specialist bowlers and two spin-bowling all-rounders.
Selection Debates
According to reports, there was competition between Washington Sundar and Rinku Singh for a place in the squad. Both players were eventually selected in the final 15.
The BCCI confirmed that the ICC T20 Men’s T20 World Cup team announced will remain unchanged for the T20I series against New Zealand. The same squad will feature in both tournaments without any changes.
Team Preparations Ahead
With the squad now confirmed, the team will begin preparations for the upcoming challenges.
The selected players will assemble for training and practice sessions before the T20I series against New Zealand.
The selection committee has finalized the squad based on recent performances and team balance requirements.
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