No Gill, Jitesh for T20 World Cup; Ishan Kishan returns to India T20I squad

Suryakumar Yadav will lead India as they become the first side to win back-to-back ICC Men’s T20 World Cups.

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Defending champions and co-hosts India have named their squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to start on February 7. The hosts enter the tournament aiming to clinch a record third title.

Suryakumar Yadav is set to lead India in his first-ever ICC tournament as captain, with Axar Patel named as his deputy in the absence of star batsman Shubman Gill, who was dropped after lean performances upon his return to the T20I setup in September.

Along with Gill, Jitesh Sharma, who featured in the recent T20Is against South Africa, also missed out.

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

Fiery opener Abhishek Sharma, who has a strike rate of 188.02 in this format, is expected to open the side, with Sanju Samson expected to partner him.

Ishan Kishan, who last played a T20I fo r India in 2023, has been brought in as the backup opener and wicket-keeper.

Kishan was rewarded for his sterling campaign in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India‘s domestic T20 tournament, where he led Jharkhand to the title while top-scoring with 517 runs in 10 matches at an average of 57.44 and a whirlwind strike rate of 197.32.

The biggest news to come out of the announcement was the omission of Gill, who was named the T20I vice-captain for the Asia Cup. However, since his return to the T20I setup in September, Gill had scored just 291 runs at an average of 24.25.

On the other hand, since the 2024 T20 World Cup, Sanju Samson has featured often at the top and averages 32.90 with a strike rate closing in on 160.

Besides Gill’s form, the selectors also took into consideration the combinations that they were looking for in the T20 World Cup.

“You’re looking at combinations at the moment,” Agarkar said. “If your keeper (Sanju Samson) is going to bat at the top, our idea was to have another keeper [Ishan Kishan], just in case.”

“At the moment, Jitesh was there, and had not done too much wrong. We know what a quality player he is, perhaps out of runs at the moment. Unfortunate to miss out on the last World Cup as well, because we went with a different combination. But it’s the combination more than anything else.

“Two keepers at the top, that’s the way we want to try it. Rinku, who gives us a little bit more depth down the order. It’s all about combinations, somebody’s going to miss out when you pick a 15, and unfortunately, it’s Gill at this point.”

Suryakumar, along with a returning Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube, will comprise of India’s strong middle-order.

Jasprit Bumrah will lead the bowling attack with Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Pandya forming the pace battery, while Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Varun Chakaravarthy will lead the charge in the spin department.

Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh have been included in India’s 15-man squad for Men’sT20 World Cup 2026 and the five-match T20I series against New Zealand in the lead-up to the global event next year. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the side while Axar Patel has been named as the vice-captain.

As a result, Shubman Gill, who was the vice-captain of the squad until the recently concluded T20I series against South Africa, and Jitesh Sharma, have missed the cut. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, captain Suryakumar Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced the 15-man squad for the mega-event from the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Saturday (December 20).

India Squad:

India 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.

Axar was vice-captain of the Indian T20I squad until the conclusion of the five-match T20I series against England in January and February before Gill took over the role in India’s next T20I assignment at the Asia Cup in September, this year. Gill remained the deputy for Suryakumar in subsequent Australia and South Africa series as well but Axar will now take over.

Gill had missed the last two T20Is due to a foot injury which he suffered in the nets ahead of the abandoned T20I in Lucknow. But, it wasn’t a fruitful year for Gill in T20Is scoring only 291 runs in 15 innings at an average of 24.25 and striking at 137.26 with no fifties or hundreds to show for his efforts.

Kishan, meanwhile, had a breakthrough season in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as he captained Jharkhand to the crown. He scored 517 runs in just 10 innings at 57.32 and struck at a whopping 197.32 in the tournament. He scored two fifties and two centuries, including a century in the final against Haryana (101 off 49).

The batters include a power-packed lineup of Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Rinku and Kishan. Hardik Pandya who blitzed 63 off 25 balls in the final T20I in Ahmedabad is one among four all-rounders with Axar, Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar being the other three.

The bowling composition includes three frontline pacers and two frontline spinners. Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack whereas Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana are the other two fast-bowlers. The spinners include Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav.

Ahead of India attempting to defend their T20 World Cup,

India will face New Zealand for three ODIs and five T20Is. The T20I series will be played from January 21 to January 31 in preparations for the marquee event. The squad for the three ODIs, which will be played from January 11 to January 18, will be announced at a later date.

India have left out vice-captain Shubman Gill from their squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, who topped the charts in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 517 runs at almost two a ball, replaced Gill in the top order, allowing India to squeeze in Rinku Singh, who has not been part of recent T20I squads. The late change in strategy meant Jitesh Sharma, the no. 1 wicketkeeper in recent series, had to miss out.

In Gill’s absence, Axar Patel was named the vice-captain of the 15-man squad. The remainder of the selection went along expected lines. Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana were the three frontline fast bowlers with two of them expected to make it to the final XI. Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav were the two front-line spinners, joined by Axar and Washington Sundar as the spin all-rounders.

Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube were the seam-bowling all-rounders to go along with a power-packed middle order of captain Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and Rinku. Opener Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Kishan rounded up the 15. The same squad will play the five-match T20I series against New Zealand.

Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the selection committee, attributed the late pivot from Gill to the team management’s preference for a wicketkeeper to open the innings. “It’s more to do with the combination that we want to play, or what the team management is comfortable with playing,” Agarkar said. “Their thoughts are… who’s going to bat at the top? Abhishek, obviously, has done what he has done over the last year. And we felt the keeper at the top at this point gives us a lot more solidity than anywhere else in the team to play different combinations. There are only 15 that we could have picked. Somebody has to miss out. It’s him. It’s not because he’s not a good player. Again, Jitesh hasn’t done too much wrong. These are the combinations that the team management is looking for.”

Gill,

who replaced Samson in the XI when named the vice-captain of the side, has not scored a single half-century in 15 innings at the top. He scored 291 runs at a strike rate of 137.26. He missed the last T20i against South Africa with a foot injury; Samson scored 37 off 22 in his absence. Suryakumar, who himself has gone the entire year without a half-century, said Gill’s form was not the issue here.

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