India ended their long wait for an ICC title after winning the T20 World Cup 2024. India have named their squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, and a lot has changed for the Men in Blue in these two editions. Here is a list of changes in the squad in those two editions.
India have named their 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 with eyes on defending the title that they won in 2024 by beating South Africa.
India are on a mission to register a few records which no other team has done in the history of T20 World Cups. The Men in Blue have a chance to become the first team in history to defend the T20 World Cup. They are also in hunt to become the first team to win the T20 crown at home and also the first to win three T20 titles.
They had won the World Cup in 2024, ending a 13-year-wait for a World Cup since winning the ODI one in 2011. Rohit Sharma led the Men in Blue to their second T20 World Cup with the first coming in 2007. However, there are several changes to India’s squad from that World Cup to this one.
Seven players changed from the 2024 World Cup to the 2026 World Cup
Meanwhile, there will be seven fresh faces in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 that were not there in 2024 and seven who were there in Barbados in 2024 but won’t be present for the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja announced their T20I retirements after winning the 2024 World Cup and hence don’t feature in the format anymore.
Apart from these three, opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal, wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant, star spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Mohammed Siraj were in the main squad for the 2024 World Cup but are not in the team for the 2026 edition of the tournament.
Seven fresh faces to feature in World Cup 2026
Meanwhile, there will be several players who were not in the main squad for that tournament in the USA and Carribbean but will be part of the tournament in India and Sri Lanka.
Opener Abhishek Sharma, wicketkeeping opener Ishan Kishan, star batter Tilak Varma, finisher Rinku Singh, all-rounder Washington Sundar, fast-bowler Harshit Rana and spinner Varun Chakravarthy will be part of the 2026 World Cup.
It is worth noting that Rinku was part of the reserves along with Shubman Gill, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan but was not in the main squad in 2024.
Meanwhile, Chakravarthy will not be playing his first T20 World Cup as he was also there in the 2021 edition but not in the 2022 and the 2024 World Cups.
India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2024:
Squad: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Hardik Pandya (Vice Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Siraj.
India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2026:
Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-capt), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (wk)