India's T20 World Cup Squad: Surprising Selections and Mixed Reactions

The announcement of India's T20I World Cup squad has generated significant buzz, particularly with the return of Rinku Singh and Ishan Kishan, while Jitesh Sharma's exclusion raised eyebrows. Former cricketers shared their mixed reactions, highlighting concerns over player form and the number of changes so close to the tournament. With the squad now finalized, cricket fans are eager to see how these selections will impact India's performance in the upcoming World Cup.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 20, 2025, 19:40 IST

Overview of India's T20I World Cup Squad

The announcement of India's T20I World Cup squad has sparked a variety of reactions within the cricket community, particularly due to the inclusion of Rinku Singh and Ishan Kishan, while Jitesh Sharma was left out and Shubman Gill was dropped. Irfan Pathan, a former all-rounder, expressed a mix of relief and concern regarding the selections. He shared on his official X account, 'Rinku Singh missed out last time, but this time he gets redemption. Ishan Kishan is back. There are some concerns as we head into the World Cup, but congratulations to the selected squad for Team India.'

Ishan Kishan's Impressive Comeback

Ishan Kishan made a remarkable return to the squad after a stellar performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025-26, where he led Jharkhand to their first-ever title. He scored 517 runs in 10 innings at an average of 57.44, including two centuries and two fifties, with a strike rate exceeding 197.

Mixed Reactions from Former Cricketers

Despite the excitement, Pathan raised concerns about Jitesh Sharma's exclusion, questioning what went wrong for him. He also emphasized the need for Suryakumar Yadav to regain form ahead of the World Cup, stating, 'Jitesh Sharma must be wondering what he did wrong to miss out. Suryakumar Yadav needs to find his form before the World Cup. I hope he performs well against New Zealand to boost his confidence.'

Former seamer Venkatesh Prasad supported the squad, expressing happiness over the return of familiar faces in key roles. He tweeted, 'This looks like a very good team. I'm glad to see Ishan Kishan back, and Axar Patel, who played a crucial role in the 2024 World Cup victory, is vice-captain again. Best wishes to Team India for the T20 World Cup.'

Aakash Chopra, an ex-opener, was surprised by the number of changes so close to the tournament, commenting, 'That's a lot of changes right before the World Cup. Jitesh must be confused about his exclusion. Rinku is back where he belongs. Why was he left out before? Happy for Ishan, as both keepers are similar in batting. Axar returns as VC, and the experiment with Gill is over.'

Commentator Harsha Bhogle praised the selectors for their bold decisions, particularly the omission of Gill.

Announcement of the Squad

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia announced the squad at the board's headquarters on Saturday, alongside captain Suryakumar Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar.

India's T20 World Cup Squad

The squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 and the New Zealand T20I series includes: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, and Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper).