On December 20, 2025, BTSO officially announced the 15-member squad to defend. India’s title T20 World Cup 2026co-hosted India and Sri Lanka. led Suryakumar Yadavthe squad reflects a transition led by a great deal of youth, rewarding specific roles for explosive domestic form and seniority.
India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad under Suryakumar Yadav
return of Ishan Kishi After his inner brilliance and encouragement Akhar Patel the vice-captain to appoint this new age team. This lineup is built on the philosophy of intent from the first ball, with some power hitters. Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma along with the world’s top T20 bowler, Varun Chakraborty.
Chief Elector Ajit Agarkar He emphasized that the selection is based on tactical combinations rather than individual statistics, ensuring that the team has plenty of bowling options and left-right batting pairs. The defending champions enter the tournament with a mix of certain match winners jasprit bumrah and as raw, uptempo talent Harshit Rana. However, the 2026 roster marks the end of an era as several legends and stars who were part of the 2024 World Cup winning team have either retired or been let go to make way for this new generation.
7 Indian players who played in T20 World Cup 2024 but will not play in 2026
The 2026 squad sees the absence of several key figures from the Barbados victory. Breakdown of players who helped India win in 2024 but are missing from this title defence:
1. Rohit Sharma (Retired)
The winning captain of 2024 bowed at the highest point. After leading India to the title in Barbados, Rohit retired from T20Is as the highest run-scorer in the format’s history at the time. His absence creates a leadership and power vacuum at the top.
2. Virat Kohli (retired)
Following him “Player of the match” Kohli, who played in the 2024 Final, announced his retirement from T20Is. He has decided to focus on the longer format (ODI), meaning the 2026 World Cup will be the first T20 mega-event since 2010 without The King.
3. Ravindra Jadeja (retired)
The veteran all-rounder retired from T20Is along with Rohit and Kohli. The leadership has already passed completely Akhar Patel and Washington Sundar To fill the spin-bowling all-round slots that Jadeja has occupied for over a decade.
Also READ: Why was Shubman Gill left out of India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad? Ajit Agarkar explains
4. Rishabh Pants (Removed/Tactical Change)
In the biggest tactical shock, Rishabh Pant was left out of the 15-man squad. Voters preferred to unleash explosive potential Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishinoted that they wanted “wickets who can bat at the top of the order”.
5. Yashasvi Jaiswal (Removed)
Despite being a regular in 2024, Jaiswal missed out as the selectors favored an all-round attacking style. Abhishek Sharma. The decision was based on finding the right combination to partner with the wicketkeeper-openers.
6. Mohammad Siraj (Removed)
Siraj, the main temper in the 2024 campaign, lost his seat Harshit Rana. The selectors preferred Rana’s specialist skills along with his high pace and ability to contribute with the bat. Arshdeep Singh.
7. Yuzvendra Chahal (Removed)
Chahal, who failed to get a single game in the 2024 tournament, was finally out of favour. Varun Chakraborty. With Chakravarthy currently ranked as the World No. 1 T20 bowler, Chahal’s return to the team is virtually sealed.
Also READ: Fans were shocked as BCCI dropped Shubman Gill from India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
