T20 World Cup 2026: 5 Indian players missing out in the squad

Team India has announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. In a surprising move, vice-captain Shubman Gill was dropped, while all-rounder Axar Patel was named the new deputy to skipper Suryakumar Yadav. While the selectors and team management took some bold calls, a few notable names failed to make the final squad, leaving several fans surprised.

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Here are the five Indian players who missed out on the T20 World Cup 2026 squad

1. Shubman Gill

This was arguably the biggest call taken by the selectors, as Shubman Gill failed to secure a spot in the World Cup squad. Gill is currently suffering from a toe injury and was ruled out of the fourth and fifth T20Is against South Africa. However, more than the injury, his lean patch of form in the shortest format played a major role.

The current team management backed Gill heavily in T20Is. After playing his last T20I in July 2024, he struggled to make a comeback for over a year before being recalled in September 2025. He was not only brought back into the side but was also named vice-captain. This decision did not go down well with fans, especially as Gill continued to struggle for runs.

In 2025 so far, Gill has scored just 291 runs in 15 T20I innings, averaging 24.25 with a strike rate of 137.26, with a highest score of 47. His place at the top became a talking point, with fans wanting Sanju Samson to open alongside Abhishek Sharma. 

Eventually, the selectors opted for combinations, as chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained after the announcement: "You're looking at combinations at the moment. It's all about combinations; someone's going to miss out when you pick a 15, and unfortunately, it's Gill at this point."

2. Jitesh Sharma

India’s wicketkeeping options in the squad are Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan. Samson was a certain pick, having been part of the T20I setup for a long time. Ishan, meanwhile, earned his recall after a stunning Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025. He led Jharkhand to the title and scored 517 runs in 10 innings at an average of 57.44 and a strike rate of 197.32, including two fifties and two centuries. Thus, he became the tournament’s highest run-getter, smashed a century in the final as well. 

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For Jitesh Sharma, the combinations again worked against him. His role has been that of a finisher, coming in late to score quick runs. However, for the World Cup, the management wanted wicketkeepers who could bat at the top. Agarkar explained this clearly, saying: "If your keeper (Sanju Samson) is going to bat at the top, our thought was to have another keeper [Ishan Kishan], just in case… But it's the combination more than anything else. Two keepers at the top, that's the way we want to try it.” Jitesh has scored 62 runs in five T20I innings this year, striking at 158.97 with an average of 31.00.

3. Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant remains out of favour in T20Is. Despite playing 76 matches in the format, he failed to cement his spot. His unorthodox style has been more effective in the other formats. In 66 T20I innings, Pant has scored 1209 runs at an average of 23.25 and a strike rate of 127.26, including three fifties. Since July 2024, India has moved on to other options.

4. Yashasvi Jaiswal

The omission of Yashasvi Jaiswal disappointed many fans. However, it was not entirely surprising, as he last played a T20I in July 2024. In 22 innings, he has scored 723 runs at an average of 36.15 and a strike rate of 164.31, including five fifties and one century. The team management appears confident with options like Samson, Ishan Kishan, and Abhishek Sharma at the top.

5. Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj also missed out, which was not a major shock. He last featured in a T20I in July 2024, with India preferring Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana alongside Jasprit Bumrah. Siraj has taken 14 wickets in 16 T20I innings at an economy of 7.79.

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