The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced its 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Surya Kumar Yadav has been retained as captain, while Axar Patel has been named vice-captain, signaling continuity in India’s T20 leadership setup.
India Squad for T20 World Cup 2026
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Surya Kumar Yadav (c)
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Abhishek Sharma
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Tilak Varma
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Hardik Pandya
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Sanju Samson (wk)
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Shivam Dube
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Jasprit Bumrah
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Rinku Singh
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Axar Patel (vc)
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Kuldeep Yadav
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Arshdeep Singh
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Harshit Rana
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Ishan Kishan (wk)
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Varun Chakravarthy
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Washington Sundar
Major Talking Point: Shubman Gill Dropped
The biggest surprise from the announcement is the exclusion of Shubman Gill, who currently captains India in Tests and ODIs. His omission underlines the selectors’ focus on specialist T20 players and recent form rather than reputation.
Tournament Schedule and Group Details
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be played from 7 February to 8 March 2026, featuring 20 teams divided into four groups. The top teams will advance to the Super 8s, followed by semi-finals and the final.
India have been placed in Group A alongside:
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Pakistan
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USA
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Namibia
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Netherlands
India will begin their campaign against the USA in Mumbai, followed by the high-voltage clash against Pakistan on 15 February in Colombo, one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament.
Knockout Stage Venues
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Semi-finals: Kolkata / Colombo and Mumbai
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Final: 8 March 2026 in Ahmedabad or Colombo, depending on qualification scenarios and arrangements related to Pakistan fixtures
With a balanced squad combining experience, power-hitting, and variety in bowling, India will look to defend their T20 crown on home conditions.
