By Kaif - Jun 08, 2025 12:27 PM
Team India squad for T20 World Cup 2026: By the time the Indian Premier League (IPL) returns in 2026, the Indian cricket team will have played another T20 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February and March next year. The Men in Blue will look to defend their title win under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav.
The 2025 IPL was the last chance for players who were trying to make it to the Indian team. Suryakumar took over the captaincy after Rohit Sharma's retirement following the 2024 T20 World Cup win, and since then India have seen just two defeats in 15 matches, while also setting new records in batting.
Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal are expected to return to the T20 team. Both of them were away from T20 last year due to focusing on Test cricket and the Champions Trophy. However, both have performed brilliantly with the bat in IPL 2025 and are considered among the best young batsmen in the world. It will not be a surprise if Shubman Gill, who was recently made the captain of the Test team, is made Suryakumar's vice-captain for the World Cup, especially after playing the role of vice-captain in his last T20I against Sri Lanka.
Along with them, Abhishek Sharma has performed impressively since his debut last year, including a sensational century off 37 balls against England. His left-arm spin bowling will also provide a vital additional option for the team.
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Talking about the middle order, Tilak Verma has cemented his place with two consecutive centuries against South Africa and a match-winning knock in a difficult run-chase against England. Shreyas Iyer hasn't played any T20Is since December 2023, but it is difficult to ignore him after scoring 604 runs in IPL 2025 and being India's top scorer in the Champions Trophy. Shreyas' leadership abilities also make him a vital player.
Among the wicketkeeper-batsmen, Sanju Samson has cemented his place with three centuries in 2024. The second wicketkeeper spot is still open, as Rishabh Pant has not been able to make a strong claim for a comeback. With so many options already in the top order, KL Rahul's return seems difficult. In such a situation, there is a direct competition between Jitesh Sharma and Dhruv Jurel. Jitesh's crucial role in Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) victory in the 2025 IPL could give him an advantage.
Among allrounders, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel are certain to be selected, and they are the most important players for India. Among spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy also seem certain to be selected, who have the ability to trouble opponents with their spin.
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In fast bowling, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh led India's pace attack in the 2024 T20 World Cup, and they will be important for the team in 2026 as well.
There is still one spot left in the team, which could either go to an extra allrounder or an extra fast bowler. Harshit Rana could be the first choice as the third pacer with his hit-the-deck bowling and batting ability. However, if India want to go with a specialist pacer like in the T20I series against England or the 2025 Champions Trophy, then one among Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag or Shivam Dube could be picked.
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