BCCI Announces 'Shubman-Less' India Squad For 2026 T20 World Cup
Shubman Gill's recent form has been underwhelming, and his statistics do little to justify an automatic selection, making any decision to exclude him a courageous one.
BCCI announces India T20 World Cup 2026 Squad: BCCI on Sunday officially announced India's 15-member squad for 2026 T20 World Cup. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, the team features core players like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. The same team will play the T20 series against New Zealand in January 2026.
Shubman Gill has been snubbed from the squad. "Shubman has been dropped due to combination. Someone has to be dropped when you picked 15. Unfortunately it's Gill this time again," said Agarkar in press conference.
Much of the discussion following the squad announcement has focused on Shubman Gill. His recent form has been underwhelming, and his statistics do little to justify an automatic selection, making any decision to exclude him a courageous one.
While Gill's quality and track record are well established, impressive performances from Ishan Kishan made the selection debate far more challenging.
On Shubman being snubbed, Suryakumar clarified that the exclusion was a tactical maneuver designed to maximize middle-order flexibility.
Ishan Kishan returns
Chief selector Agarkar confirmed that Ishan Kishan has been selected as an opening partner for Sanju Samson, highlighting the balance it brings to the lineup. He explained that having a wicketkeeper bat at the top provides greater stability to the team.
India's T20 World Cup 2026 Squad, IND-NZ T20Is
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, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan.
IND vs PAK T20 WC 2026 Match On THIS Day
India’s T20 World Cup 2026 Group A fixtures have been confirmed, with the tournament starting on February 7.
India will open its campaign against the USA at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. The team will then face Namibia in Delhi on February 12, followed by a high-voltage clash against Pakistan in Colombo on February 15. India will conclude its group stage with a match against the Netherlands on February 18.
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