India T20 World Cup 2026 Squad: Axar to deputize Surya, Shubman Gill left out; Rinku, Ishan Selected

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The India squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup was announced on Saturday (December 20), as chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Suryakumar Yadav named the 15-member squad at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.

The T20 World Cup 2026, set to commence from February 7 in India and Sri Lanka, comes up with a huge challenge as India aim to defend its title. Along with the T20 World Cup, the squad for the upcoming 5-match T20I series against New Zealand has been named as well.

Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed as captain, while Axar Patel has been named his deputy for the upcoming competition.

Varun Chakravarthy returns to a World Cup squad for the first time since 2021, and the mystery spinner is coupled with Kuldeep Yadav. Jasprit Bumrah is set to spearhead the pace attack with Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana as the other pacers.

Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are the two wicketkeeper-batters picked in the side, and the former remains a top contender to make it into the playing 11 as well.

After the Rohit Sharma-led team ended the wait in 2024, the onus will now be on Suryakumar Yadav and his troops to create history and become the first team to defend a T20 World Cup title on home soil.

India Squad for T20 World Cup 2026

Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel (vc), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Ishan Kishan (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar

India Squad for New Zealand T20I Series

The same team has been named in the New Zealand series as well.

Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel (vc), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Ishan Kishan (wk), Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar

India T20 World Cup 2026 Group Stages Schedule

India have been placed in Group A, alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, and Namibia - a relatively straightforward group that avoids early clashes with powerhouses like Australia or England. The highlight is undoubtedly the India-Pakistan encounter, scheduled for February 15 in Colombo, expected to draw massive global viewership.

February 7: India vs USA at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
February 12: India vs Namibia at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
February 15: India vs Pakistan at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
February 18: India vs Netherlands at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

India vs New Zealand T20I Series

The series will start from January 21 and will continue till January 31. The two teams will play five matches against each other.