Why has India not named Reserve Players for T20 World Cup 2026 Squad?

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In a departure from recent norms, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 15-member squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 on December 20, 2025, without naming any standby, travelling reserves, or backup players.

This decision, explained during the press conference, stems from the tournament being co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, allowing for swift replacements if needed due to injuries or other contingencies.

The 2026 edition, starting February 7, will see most of India's matches played in familiar conditions across Indian venues, with only potential travel to Sri Lanka for specific games, such as against Pakistan. This logistical advantage eliminates the need for a fixed group of travelling reserves, unlike overseas tournaments where delays in player arrivals could disrupt preparations.

Contrast with the 2024 T20 World Cup

This approach marks a clear contrast with the 2024 T20 World Cup, which was co-hosted by USA and West Indies, where India named four travelling reserves to accompany the main squad - Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan.

Why has India not named any Travelling Reserves?

Unlike the previous years, the Indian team hasn't named a reserve player because the tournament is being played in the country. Being a co-host of the T20 World Cup, the Indian team doesn't require three or four players to travel along with the squad, although they are not in the main team. Hence, if an unforeseen injury or any other kind of issue persists, the players shall be readily available.

"There are no standbys since the whole tournament is happening in the country and we can replace any player at any point in time," BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav echoed this, noting that with the event largely on home soil, players can be readily available without pre-designated reserves.

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