Gill Dropped as India Name T20 World Cup Squad, Axar Vice-Captain

Mumbai: In a surprise move, defending champions India have left out Shubman Gill from the squad for the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup and the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand. The squad was announced by BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, captain Suryakumar Yadav, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar.

All-rounder Axar Patel has been named vice-captain, supporting Suryakumar Yadav, who will continue to lead the side.

Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has made a notable return to the T20I setup following his impressive performances in domestic cricket, including a key role in Jharkhand’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy triumph. Rinku Singh has also been recalled after missing India’s recent T20I series win in South Africa. However, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has been omitted.

Explaining the selection strategy, Agarkar said the team management was focused on finding the right balance and combinations. “Gill is a quality player and it’s unfortunate he misses out, but we wanted another wicketkeeping option. Ishan bats at the top, has been in good form, and has previous international experience. At this point, we feel he is the best backup keeper,” Agarkar said.

The 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8. The tournament will feature 40 group-stage matches, with the top two teams from each of the four groups advancing to the Super Eights starting February 21.

India have been placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, and Namibia. The Men in Blue will begin their campaign against USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 7, followed by a match against Namibia in New Delhi on February 12. Their much-anticipated clash against Pakistan is scheduled for February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, before concluding the league stage against the Netherlands in Ahmedabad on February 18.

Ahead of the World Cup, India will play a five-match T20I series against New Zealand, starting January 21 in Nagpur, with subsequent matches in Raipur, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and Thiruvananthapuram, following a three-match ODI series.

India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, and Ishan Kishan.