T20 World Cup 2026: Sanju Samson–Abhishek Sharma opening pair to continue for India as Shubman Gill is excluded?

Rinku Singh and Ishan Kishan made it into India's squad for the T20 World Cup 2026, while Shubman Gill was excluded. Jitesh Sharma, who has been the wicketkeeper in the T20 side alongside Sanju Samson in recent times, also failed to make the team led by Suryakumar Yadav. The same squad will play the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, chief selector Ajit Agarkar confirmed on Saturday.

All-rounder Axar Patel was named the vice-captain of the squad. 

Left-hander Ishan Kishan has been rewarded for leading Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier this week. The Kishan-led Jharkhand defeated Haryana by 69 runs in the final at Pune, and the left-hander finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer, amassing 517 runs in 10 innings at an average of 57.44 and a strike rate in excess of 197. Kishan smashed 101 off 49 balls -- his fifth century in the competition -- in the final equalling India T20I opener Abhishek Sharma's record for the most hundreds in the tournament.

Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar admitted that Gill has been dropped from the squad for lack of runs.

"Obviously he (Gill) has been short of runs and since he wasn't picked, we needed a vice-captain," Agarkar said at the press conference.

Rinku Singh, who was a part of the victorious Asia Cup winning squad made a comeback as the designated finisher in place of Jitesh. Ishan, apart from being the second keeper, will be the reserve opener. 

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia was present alongside Suryakumar Yadav and Agarkar as the 15-man squad was announced at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai

India's squad for T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-capt), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (wk).