- By Himanshu Badola
- Sat, 07 Feb 2026 01:21 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026: The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 got underway on Saturday, with the first match being played between Pakistan and the Netherlands in Colombo. The defending champions, India, are all set to kick off their campaign on the opening day as well, as they face the USA in match 3 at the Wankhede Stadium. The Men in Blue are being captained by Suryakumar Yadav.
India will be looking for the best possible start in the tournament with an aim to become the first team to defend the T20 World Cup title. They are drawn in group A alongside Pakistan, the Netherlands, Namibia and the USA. There are a few big names missing from the Indian team that played the previous edition of the T20 World Cup in 2024. As soon as India lifted the trophy, their batting stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their respective retirements from the T20I format.
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Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja have also retired from the format, making way for a few fresh names. The Men in Blue will be heading into the tournament with outstanding recent results. Interestingly, India's 15-member squad features a majority of the players who featured in the tournament's previous edition, including skipper Suryakumar.
Two players, Ishan Kishan and Varun Chakaravarthy, were part of the 2021 T20 World Cup squad.
India's players who played T20 World Cup 2024, but are not included in squad for T20 World Cup 2026
Virat Kohli
Kohli had a disappointing outing in the T20 World Cup 2024, but his match-winning knock of 76 runs helped India beat South Africa and lift the title. He retired from the T20Is after the tournament.
Rohit Sharma
Rohit was the captain of the Indian team in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He scored 257 runs in eight matches for the Men in Blue and retired from T20Is after India's win in the final.
Ravindra Jadeja
Jadeja played all eight matches for India in the 2024 T20 World Cup but retired from T20Is after India's win in the final.
Rishabh Pant
Pant was India's first-choice wicketkeeper in the T20 World Cup 2024, and played all eight games. He hasn't played a T20I match for India since July 2024.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Jaiswal was a part of India's squad in the T20 World Cup 2024, but didn't get to play any games. With multiple contenders lined up for the opening slot, Jaiswal couldn't make it to the squad for this year's edition.
Yuzvendra Chahal
Chahal has been out of the Indian setup for a while now. He was also a part of India's T20 WC-winning squad in 2024, but didn't get to play a single game. His last T20I appearance for India came in August 2023.
Players who missed the T20 World Cup 2024, but made it to the squad for T20 World Cup 2026
Abhishek Sharma: World No. 1 T20I batter Abhishek Sharma will play his first T20 World Cup in 2026. He has scored 1297 runs in 38 T20Is so far.
Ishan Kishan: Having made his return to the Indian team in an emphatic style, Kishan is expected to be the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter. Ishan last played in the T20 World Cup for India in 2021.
Tilak Varma: Having gained fitness just in time, Tilak Varma is all set to play his first T20 World Cup for India. He has 1183 runs to his credit in 40 T20I matches.
Rinku Singh: Rinku Singh was part of India's 2024 T20 World Cup squad as a reserve player, but in 2026, he was included in the main squad.
Varun Chakravarthy: World No. 1 T20I bowler Varun Chakaravarthy will lead India's spin attack in the T20 World Cup 2026. He was part of the team in the T20 World Cup 2021.
Washington Sundar: Despite his fitness being a concern, Washington Sundar was picked in India's T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
The players, who continue to be a part of India's World Cup squad even after playing the last edition, are Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav.
India's squad for T20 World Cup 2026: Ishan Kishan(w), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar