T20 World Cup 2026: BCCI Explains Why No Backup Players Were Selected

Traditionally, reserve squads are named for overseas tournaments to avoid logistical challenges in case of injuries or emergencies.

Because of this flexibility, the board did not feel the need to officially announce reserve players.

Source : PTI

BCCI has named a 15-member Indian squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, with notable absences including Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant.

One of the biggest talking points around the announcement is the absence of any reserve or standby players. BCCI secretary Devjit Saikia has clarified the reasoning behind this decision.

Why were no standby players named?

Explaining the move, Saikia stated that since the T20 World Cup will be hosted in India and Sri Lanka, replacements can be added easily if required. Because of this flexibility, the board did not feel the need to officially announce reserve players.

Traditionally, reserve squads are named for overseas tournaments to avoid logistical challenges in case of injuries or emergencies. However, with the tournament being played at home and nearby venues, player availability will not be an issue.

"Since the tournament is happening in our country. We won't have any problem in naming replacements. Hence, we haven't named any reserves for the squad," said Devajit Saikia in press conference.

India Squad for 2026 T20 World Cup

Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (Vice-captain), Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk).

India’s Group Stage Schedule

India are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, USA, Namibia, and the Netherlands.

February 7: India vs USA

February 12: India vs Namibia

February 15: India vs Pakistan

February 18: India vs Netherlands

Ajit Agarkar on Shubman Gill being dropped

Q: Why was Shubman Gill left out despite being vice-captain?

A: The focus was on continuity. Shubman had previously served as vice-captain, but since he isn’t part of the squad this time, the role needed to be assigned to someone else. In earlier T20 matches, when Shubman missed games due to Test commitments, Axar Patel took over as vice-captain. The decision, therefore, was aimed at preserving leadership continuity rather than sending any new message.