20 December,2025 02:53 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Ishan Kishan (Pic: File Pic)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia announced the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 on Saturday.
Saikia made the announcement along with Team India's chief selector Ajit Agarkar and skipper Suryakumar Yadav in Mumbai.
In Shubman Gill's absence, Team India's think tank has named Axar Patel as their vice-captain.
Additionally, swashbuckling opening batsman Abhishek Sharma has also received the opportunity to make his first appearance in the global showpiece. Over the last few matches, the left-hander has been consistent with his dominating strokes and explosive approach in the format.
Also, Ishan Kishan has been picked as the second wicketkeeper-batsman option for the marquee event. Recently, the 27-year-old also led Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title. In the final match against Haryana, Kishan smashed a century in just 45 deliveries.
On the other hand, along with Gill, a reliable opening batsman, Yashasvi Jaiswal's name is also missing from the squad.
The same squad will also lock horns against New Zealand for the shortest format series. Both teams will clash against each other in the five-match T20I series, starting from January 21, 2026. The series will also serve as a preparatory contest for the "Men in Blue" and the "Black Caps" ahead of the global showpiece.
The T20 World Cup 2026 is all set to be hosted in India and Sri Lanka, from February 7. India will open their campaign against the United States of America on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The much-awaited clash of the tournament between arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, is scheduled to be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.
The marquee tournament will conclude on March 8, with the top two teams clashing against each other for the elusive title. The venue of the final match is yet to be confirmed. It will be interesting to see if the "Men in Blue" manage to defend their T20 World Cup title.
India's squad for T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (WK).
