According to PTI report, the Indian selectors are all set to announce the squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 on December 20, and it has been an open secret for a long time that 35-year-old skipper Suryakumar Yadav might not be the ideal candidate for captaincy in the post-ICC T20 World Cup era.
The wait is finally over, as the defending champions are on the verge of entering another ICC T20 World Cup campaign, and the team selection is on the sheet. Indian selectors are not going to make any revolutionary changes.
BCCI will formally announce the 15-member squad on Saturday, December 20. However, BCCI will have the freedom to make changes in the team till February 7, the day of the start of the World Cup.
Suryakumar Yadav reportedly unlikely to continue as India’s T20I captain
Captain Suryakumar Yadav’s form has been a matter of great concern for the Indian team, as it has been more than 14 months when the Indian captain has failed to excel with his bat. His form has come under question on several occasions; The only reason he remains in his place is his captaincy.
The player, who is 35, has not been in form for over a year now, and with so many promising players still waiting for a place in the Indian T20I team, Suryakumar Yadav’s form remains to be tested after the World Cup.
The first step towards the objective is to remove him from the captaincy after the T20 World Cup, and although everyone in the committee and the BCCI is silent on the matter, the message within the dressing room seems imminent. Gambhir has also pointed towards the same by calling the name of Shubman Gill for the captaincy of all formats for India.
Yashasvi Jaiswal may be supported as a backup opener before the T20 World Cup
Despite poor form, Shubman Gill is retaining his place in the team, the reason for this is the immense faith of his vice-captain and head coach Gautam Gambhir. However, Yashasvi Jaiswal is eager to enter the playing eleven from the sidelines.
Jaiswal played an impressive series against South Africa, as he was a prolific run-scorer, as well as becoming the second highest run-scorer for India with his maiden century in the series. He has also proved time and again that he is a more versatile shot-maker than both Shubman Gill and his backup Sanju Samson.
It will be interesting to see if India name him as a backup in the World Cup squad and try him out in one or two matches in the New Zealand series, as the Men in Blue will be playing the series with their World Cup squad.
Should India drop Washington Sundar to make way for Rinku Singh?
The only weak link in India’s current T20 team seems to be Washington Sundar, who has neither proved to be effective nor has any special role in the team. Sundar is a backup player and that too as a bowling all-rounder.
Players like Axar Patel, Varun Chakraborty and Kuldeep Yadav are already in the team, so there will be no need for any more spinners. India could call upon left-handed middle-order batsman Rinku Singh, who can replace any injured batsman, or even Shivam Dubey or Axar Patel if they fail to perform well enough for the World Cup.
Rinku Singh has been dropped from the T20 squad after the Asia Cup because, according to Gambhir, the T20 format only needs players who can perform well with both bat and ball.
Also read: ‘Will Jacques has not bowled badly’: England coach shamelessly defends all-rounder after embarrassing performance
