Shubman Gill left out as Ishan Kishan named in India’s T20 World Cup squad

Shubman Gill has been dropped from India’s squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday announced a 15-member squad for the marquee tournament, scheduled to be held from February 7 to March 8.

Axar Patel has been named vice-captain, while Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh earned recalls following strong performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. The BCCI also confirmed that the same squad will feature in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand from January 21 to 31.

The squad was finalised at a meeting of the BCCI Senior Men’s Selection Committee at the board’s Mumbai headquarters. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia announced the selections at a press conference, following which captain Suryakumar Yadav and selection committee chairperson Ajit Agarkar addressed the media.

Gill dropped after lean T20 run

Gill has paid the price for an underwhelming run in the shortest format. Once India’s T20I vice-captain, the right-hander gradually fell out of favour after managing just 291 runs from 15 matches this year at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26, without a single fifty.

He also missed the final two T20Is against South Africa due to a foot injury, having struggled earlier in the series with 32 runs from three innings at an average of 10.66 and a strike rate of 103.22. While Gill continues to excel in ODIs and Tests, his T20 form has remained a concern for the selectors.

Kishan rewarded, Jitesh misses out

Kishan has been recalled to the T20I setup for the first time since November 2023. The left-hander topped the run charts in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 517 runs from 10 innings at an average of 57.44 and a strike rate of 197.32.

He capped off the tournament with a match-winning 101 off 49 balls in the final, helping Jharkhand lift the title for the first time with a 69-run win over Haryana in Pune.

Kishan will serve as the second wicketkeeper alongside Sanju Samson, who recently crossed 1,000 T20I runs and became the seventh Indian to score 8,000 runs in T20 cricket. Jitesh Sharma, meanwhile, lost his place after modest returns in the series against South Africa.

Rinku returns, Abhishek in focus

Rinku Singh has also earned a recall after being named only as a reserve for the 2024 T20 World Cup. The left-hander brings finishing firepower, having scored 550 runs in 35 T20Is at an average of 42.30 and a strike rate of 161.76.

Attention will also be on Abhishek Sharma, who is set to make his maiden T20 World Cup appearance. The opener has been in prolific form since his debut, recently becoming the fastest Indian to reach 1,000 T20I runs in terms of balls faced. He also starred in India’s Asia Cup triumph in the UAE, finishing as the tournament’s leading run-scorer.

Strong bowling core retained

India’s bowling attack will be led by Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, with Harshit Rana providing additional pace support. The spin department features Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy, while Axar Patel adds balance as an all-rounder.

Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube complete India’s all-round options, giving the side depth in both batting and bowling.

World Cup build-up

India enter the tournament on the back of a 3–1 T20I series win against South Africa, extending their unbeaten run in bilateral series since August 2023. They will further fine-tune combinations during the New Zealand series.

India begin their World Cup campaign on February 7 against the United States at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, followed by matches against Namibia, Pakistan and the Netherlands in the group stage.

India squad for T20 World Cup & T20I series vs New Zealand

Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan