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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday announced the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 and the five-match series against New Zealand. The biggest talking point from the press conference addressed by Ajit Agarkar and Suryakumar Yadav was the exclusion of vice-captain Shubman Gill, with Axar Patel being handed the responsibility for the tournament.
Ishan Kishan has made a return to the team after an impressive domestic season with Jharkhand and has been picked as the second wicketkeeper alongside Sanju Samson, which means Jitesh Sharma has missed out. Washington Sundar and Rinku Singh are also part of the team.
India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (wk)
Agarkar explains Shubman Gill’s omission
“Your opinion could differ from mine. Sometimes when you pick players, it’s a bit difficult. We still think he’s a quality player. You go through ups and downs with forms obviously, but it’s more about the combinations you want them playing. 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, and fortunately in Indian cricket we have options,” Agarkar said during the press conference.
Agarkar on Ishan Kishan’s inclusion
“He bats at the top in white-ball cricket. He has been in good form. He has played before for India. He has a double hundred in One-Day cricket. He wasn’t in the Indian team because there were Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel ahead of him. The two pretty good players. Nothing to do with anything else. He bats at the top and Sanju is at the top, that’s why we feel that’s the combination we look at. Obviously Abhishek Sharma is there. When you are looking at constructing a team, you are looking for the right kind of backups if in case there is an injury or loss of form during the tournament. We felt he is the best candidate at this point,” Agarkar said.
Agarkar on Jitesh Sharma’s exclusion and Axar Patel’s promotion
“Shubman was the vice-captain and with him not being in the team, there has to be somebody else who has to be the vice-captain. And before that, when Shubman was not playing T20s and playing Test cricket, Axar was the vice-captain. About continuity, we are looking at the combinations at the moment. If your keeper is going to bat the top, our thought was to have another keeper who can bat at the top. Again, Jitesh hasn’t done too much wrong. But these are the combinations that the team management is looking for,” Agarkar said.
Agarkar on four spinners in the team
“There are a couple of all-rounders in Axar Patel and Washington Sundar. And maybe Surya will elaborate more on that as the captain and coach know what combinations they want to play. It gives us flexibility because there are two all-rounders and then we are very fortunate to have two wrist spinners at this point. To have that in a T20 game is a huge plus. What combinations they play will depend on the venues they play and the teams that they play. That will be decided on the day. Could be a case where they play six spinners, hopefully that’s not the case. The combinations they will decide, but we have got a lot more options to play at different positions, which I am sure is what the team management is looking for always,” he said.
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