SRINAGAR: India on Saturday announced their squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and the T20 International series against New Zealand, with Suryakumar Yadav named captain and Axar Patel appointed vice-captain, according to Cricbuzz.
In a major selection call, the BCCI selection committee, headed by chief selector Ajit Agarkar, dropped Shubman Gill from the squad altogether, also removing him from the vice-captaincy. Wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has also been omitted, with the selectors opting for the in-form Ishan Kishan, who returns to the T20I set-up after a gap of more than two years.
Sanju Samson has been picked as the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter, while Rinku Singh and Washington Sundar have been included in the 15-member squad. The selectors have not named any standby players.
The squad reflects a blend of experience and youth, with key players such as Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh retained alongside emerging talents including Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma and Harshit Rana.
India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Axar Patel (vice-captain), Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.
