New Delhi: India’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar on Saturday underlined that team combination, not individual merit, drove the selection decisions for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, as vice-captains Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma were left out of the 15-member squad.
The squad for the global event, to be jointly hosted by Sri Lanka in February–March 2026, was announced at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai by Agarkar, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, and captain Suryakumar Yadav. All-rounder Axar Patel was named India’s new vice-captain, while wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan made a return to the T20I side after nearly two years.
Addressing the media, Agarkar acknowledged the difficulty of the selection process.
“For a T20 World Cup, we can only pick 15 players. Someone was always going to miss out,” Agarkar said. “It does not mean that those left out are not good players.”
Gill’s omission, in particular, sparked debate, with even former India great Sunil Gavaskar expressing surprise. However, Agarkar stressed that the decision was rooted in balance rather than form alone.
“The decision to open with Sanju Samson instead of Shubman Gill was based on team combination,” he explained. “Abhishek Sharma’s performances over the last year made his spot at the top certain. We felt that having a wicketkeeper in the top order gives us greater flexibility and strengthens the overall balance of the XI.”
Gill, who was appointed India’s T20 vice-captain during the Asia Cup in September 2025, has struggled for consistency in the shortest format this year. He scored 291 runs in 15 T20I innings in 2025, without registering a half-century, and managed just 32 runs in the first three matches of the recent series against South Africa before being sidelined with a toe injury.
On Jitesh Sharma, Agarkar was equally clear:
“Jitesh hasn’t done anything wrong. This is not about mistakes. We are simply looking for combinations that work best for us. Unfortunately, with only 15 slots available, he is the one who misses out.”
In contrast, the selectors rewarded strong domestic performances by recalling Ishan Kishan, who topped the run charts in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 517 runs, including a century, and played a decisive role in Jharkhand’s title win. Kishan last featured in a T20I for India in November 2023 against Australia and has since scored 796 runs in 32 T20Is. Rinku Singh, another inclusion, has amassed 550 runs in 35 T20Is, emerging as a reliable finisher.
India’s squad boasts a formidable batting line-up featuring Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh and Ishan Kishan, while the bowling unit offers depth with Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, alongside spinners Kuldeep यादव, Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar.
India, the reigning T20 World Cup champions after defeating South Africa in the 2024 final in the West Indies, will use the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand starting January 21 as a key preparatory phase with the same squad.
Summing up the selection philosophy, Agarkar reiterated:
“This is about what combination the team management is most comfortable with. We want flexibility and multiple options to build the strongest possible XI for the World Cup.”
India’s ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Squad:
Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Axar Patel (Vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (WK).
