T20 World Cup 2026: Rinku Singh and Ishan Kishan get the nod as India drop Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma from the squad.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad by largely retaining the core while taking a few decisive calls. Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma have made way for Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh in a group that will also feature in the home T20I series against New Zealand. The selection reflects a clear emphasis on role clarity and tactical flexibility, even at the cost of sidelining players who were part of India’s T20I plans until recently.
The selection panel has chosen continuity over experimentation by naming an identical squad for the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup 2026. Rather than treating the home series as a trial phase, the selectors appear keen to use it as a full-scale rehearsal. With the global event set to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka in February 2026, the focus has shifted to settling combinations early, sharpening roles through game time, and allowing the core group to build rhythm under match pressure instead of relying on theoretical balance.
Key takeaways from the selection underline a clear shift in priorities. Suryakumar Yadav has been retained as captain despite a lean run with the bat in the recent series, reflecting the management’s continued faith in his leadership and big-match pedigree. Axar Patel’s elevation to vice-captain further cements his role as a guaranteed starter, underlining the value placed on a dependable spin-bowling all-rounder. Meanwhile, the decision to move on from the Gill-Jitesh combination in favour of Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh highlights a renewed focus on left-right balance, enhanced finishing depth, and greater flexibility in wicketkeeping options.
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Kishan’s recall driven by form not familiarity
Ishan Kishan’s recall is rooted squarely in performance and role fit, not sentiment. His Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26 campaign was one of the most dominant in the tournament’s history, with 517 runs in 10 matches at an average in the high 50s and a strike rate of 197.32. He capped that with a blistering 101 off 49 balls in the final for Jharkhand against Haryana, his second ton of the season and fifth in SMAT overall, equalling the record of most hundreds in the competition.
Kishan’s inclusion restores a left-handed wicketkeeper-batter to India’s T20 mix, one capable of dictating terms both in the powerplay and through the middle overs. His explosive form in domestic cricket, particularly in home conditions similar to those expected during the World Cup, appears to have weighed heavily with the selectors at this late stage of preparation.
Crucially, Kishan also offers a near like-for-like backup for Sanju Samson, who is expected to open in Shubman Gill’s absence. With Samson likely to partner a first-choice opener, the team management required either a reserve wicketkeeper who could slot seamlessly into the middle order or a flexible batting option capable of floating between positions three and five. Kishan fits that brief comfortably. While he has opened extensively in T20 cricket, his SMAT 2025-26 performances underlined a growing maturity – the ability to build an innings before accelerating decisively through the middle phase.
Read More: Ishan Kishan slams hundred in SMAT 2025-26 Final; National call up next?
Ajit Agarkar on Gill’s omission
Shubman Gill’s exclusion is the most high-profile call of this squad, especially after a long stretch where he was groomed as a T20I leader and even vice-captain. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar stressed that India wanted at least one wicketkeeper who could open, which Samson already does, and a second who could serve as both backup keeper and a flexible batter, hence Kishan’s edge over Gill, who is a pure top-order player.
“Their thoughts are… who’s going to bat at the top? Abhishek, obviously, has done what he has done over the last year. And we felt the keeper at the top at this point gives us a lot more solidity than anywhere else in the team to play different combinations. There are only 15 that we could have picked. Someone has to miss out. It’s him. It’s not because he’s not a good player. Again, Jitesh hasn’t done too much wrong. These are the combinations that the team management is looking for,” he added.
Rinku in, Jitesh out
In the lower middle order, Rinku Singh’s return plugs directly into India’s need for a bankable finisher between overs 14 and 20. His early international cameos and IPL record have already built a reputation for calm, high-impact finishing, and the selectors appear to have chosen that proven finishing profile over Jitesh Sharma’s still-developing international resume.
Jitesh Sharma, importantly, has not been painted as a failure. Agarkar went out of his way to clarify that Jitesh hasn’t really done much wrong and that his omission is driven by combinations.
Rinku’s inclusion provides India with a specialist finisher slotted at positions five to seven. Ishan Kishan, meanwhile, edges out Jitesh Sharma by offering superior coverage as a backup wicketkeeper, especially with Sanju Samson poised to open in the revamped lineup.
Read More: Numbers show that Suryakumar Yadav has struggled versus pace in T20Is in 2025; What are the reasons?
Surya to continue as skipper, Axar appointed VC
Despite not being in peak batting form, Suryakumar Yadav has been retained as captain for the side, with both Ajit Agarkar and the team management backing his tactical acumen and long-term T20 pedigree. His role now is dual: rediscover his own rhythm with the bat and orchestrate a batting template that maximises India’s array of hitters around him.
Axar Patel’s elevation to vice-captain is equally revealing. It suggests that he is locked into the starting XI as the primary spin-bowling all-rounder, particularly in home conditions where his control and batting depth at seven or eight are invaluable. The flip side is that Washington Sundar, despite his skill set, may find it difficult to break into the first-choice XI unless India go with a three-spinner strategy or injuries force a change, because Axar’s leadership tag effectively secures his spot.
Really like the team that has been picked. Big call on leaving out Gill and that tells me that 'Fire & Ice' has been replaced by 'Fire & Fire'. The options Ishan Kishan gives are too tempting to ignore especially given his form. Sadly, that means Jitesh had to go and you feel for…
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) December 20, 2025
Pleasantly surprised, actually delighted with the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup. They picked on form, for home conditions and they picked for a 8 batter line up with a keeper batter up front.
— Joy Bhattacharjya (@joybhattacharj) December 20, 2025
Nobody can guarantee results but they've given themselves the best possible chance.
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