In a major shake-up, India has left out vice-captain Shubman Gill from its 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to begin on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka. The decision, announced by the BCCI selection committee chaired by Ajit Agarkar, sees the return of Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh, while Axar Patel has been reinstated as vice-captain.
Captained by Suryakumar Yadav, the squad prioritizes a wicketkeeper-opener strategy, which opened the door for Sanju Samson and Kishan at the top of the order. Jitesh Sharma, who featured regularly as the wicketkeeper since the last World Cup, also missed the cut.
Explaining the omission of Gill, who had been appointed vice-captain just three months prior, Agarkar cited team balance over form issues. "We felt a ‘keeper at the top at this point gives us a lot more solidity everywhere else in the team to play different combinations," Agarkar said during a media interaction. While acknowledging Gill's quality, he added, "Someone has to miss out, and this time it is him."
Suryakumar Yadav echoed these sentiments, clarifying that the move was purely tactical. "It's not about his form or anything. It's just about the combination right now," the captain stated, noting that a keeper-opener allows them to include finishers like Rinku Singh or all-rounders like Washington Sundar lower down the order.
The exclusion of Gill, who scored 291 runs in his last 15 innings at an average of 24.25, paves the way for Sanju Samson to likely partner Abhishek Sharma at the top. Samson, who recently opened in the final T20I against South Africa, is joined by Ishan Kishan, who earned a recall after a two-year absence following a stellar Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign where he finished as the top scorer with 517 runs.
Kishan's explosive form and left-handed option made him the ideal backup keeper-opener, displacing Jitesh Sharma, whom Agarkar admitted "hasn't done too much wrong."
The rest of the squad follows expected lines, featuring a bowling unit led by ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, supported by Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana. The spin department includes the mystery of Varun Chakravarthy alongside Kuldeep Yadav, with all-rounders Axar Patel and Washington Sundar providing depth.
Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube retain their spots as seam-bowling all-rounders. Notably, no standby players were named, with BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia citing the ease of logistics for the co-hosted tournament. "Flying in replacements, if required, will not be a problem," he confirmed.
India will begin their title defense against the USA on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The team is placed in Group A alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, the Netherlands, and Namibia. Before the mega event, this same squad will face New Zealand in a five-match T20I series at home starting January 21, serving as their final preparation.
The high-voltage clash against Pakistan is slated for February 15 in Colombo, with the final scheduled for March 8 in Ahmedabad, subject to qualification scenarios.
India Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Axar Patel (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (wk).