India announced the squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 on December 20, which surprisingly is missing some big names. Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma have been dropped, while Rinku Singh and Ishan Kishan have got a place in the team of 15 players.
Akshar Patel has been made the captain and Suryakumar Yadav as the vice-captain and the same team will also play a five-match T20 series against New Zealand starting from January 11. Shubman Gill’s exit was the biggest surprise for the Indian cricket fraternity as he was the vice-captain.
Indian selectors surprised as many big names miss T20 World Cup 2026
Gill has not scored a single half-century since his return to India’s T20 squad in September and has now been dropped from the team due to his poor form as he missed out on selection for the T20 World Cup twice. Apart from him, explosive and in-form opener Yashasvi Jaiswal could not get a place despite consistent good performance.
India’s squad announced for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
Let’s cheer on the defending champions motiv#TeamIndia , #meninblue , #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/7CpjGh60vk
– BCCI (@BCCI) 20 December 2025
Another in-form opener Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out due to team balance, while Shreyas Iyer also missed out. Rishabh Pant also did not get a place in the T20 World Cup 2026 squad due to his inconsistent performances.
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Pant has been out of the T20 team since Samson emerged as an opening batsman. India also tried Jitesh Sharma but the left-hander was not recalled.
Mohammed Siraj was once again not included in the India T20I team.
Other notable names left out include Riyan Parag and Ravi Bishnoi, who have all impressed in limited opportunities. Experienced fast bowler Mohammed Siraj continues to be sidelined from the T20 team, while Khaleel Ahmed has also not been recalled despite impressive performances in T20 cricket.
Sai Kishore is another name. Even if the list of backup players is prepared, star players like KL Rahul, Shashank Singh, Prasidh Krishna and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will attract attention. All these players were in great form in IPL 2025 and domestic cricket.
Despite proven T20 credentials, they have failed to make a place, but they form a strong playing XI of players left out of the T20 World Cup 2026 squad that can beat any team on the field.
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Playing XI of players released from outside India:
Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ryan Parag, Jitesh Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Khalil Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Sai Kishore
Backup: KL Rahul, Shashank Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Ajit Agarkar explains the tough calls when star players miss out
Meanwhile, Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar has stressed that it is never easy to drop players, but clarified that the dropped players are still extremely talented, but team combination and balance played a big role in the final selection. With so many strong options available, Agarkar said some players had to be missed despite their quality and form.
Ajit Agarkar said in the press conference, “Your opinion may differ from mine. Sometimes when you pick players, it is difficult. We still think he is a quality player. You go through ups and downs with form, but it is more about the combinations you want to play him. Someone has to be missed; it is not because he is not a good player, and fortunately in Indian cricket we have options.”
