India announced the T20 World Cup 2026 squad on 20 December 2025, confirming that Shubman Gill was removed as vice-captain ahead of the global tournament. The official announcement confirmed Rohit Sharma continued as captain, while Hardik Pandya was appointed vice-captain. The selection marked a significant leadership change as India finalized its core group for the ICC event scheduled next year.
India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2026 and New Zealand T20Is:Â Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Axar Patel (vice-captain), Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.
Key Highlights
Axar Patel’s appointment as vice-captain reflected the team management’s preference for leadership experience in global tournaments. Several players from India’s recent T20I series successes were included, while a few fringe players missed out following selection reviews.
