Surprising Selections in India's T20I World Cup Squad Spark Reactions
Reactions to India's T20I World Cup Squad Announcement
The Indian cricket community has expressed a range of opinions regarding the recently announced T20I World Cup squad, which features notable inclusions like Rinku Singh and Ishan Kishan, while Jitesh Sharma was left out and Shubman Gill was omitted.
Irfan Pathan, a former all-rounder for India, shared his mixed feelings about the selection on his official X account, stating, "Rinku Singh missed out last time but has found redemption this time. Ishan Kishan is back in the mix. There are some concerns as we head into the World Cup, but congratulations to the selected squad for Team India."
Ishan Kishan, who had an outstanding performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025-26, leading Jharkhand to their first title, returns to the T20I setup after last appearing against Australia in late 2023. He was the top scorer in SMAT, amassing 517 runs in 10 innings with an impressive average of 57.44, including two centuries and two fifties.
Pathan also raised concerns about Jitesh Sharma's exclusion, emphasizing the need for Suryakumar Yadav to regain his form. He tweeted, "Jitesh Sharma must be wondering what went wrong for him to be left out. Suryakumar Yadav needs to find his rhythm before the World Cup. I hope he performs well against New Zealand to boost his confidence."
Former Indian pacer Venkatesh Prasad expressed his support for the squad, noting the return of key players. He tweeted, "This looks like a strong team. It's great to see Ishan Kishan back, and Axar Patel, who played a vital role in the 2024 World Cup victory, is vice-captain again. Best of luck to Team India for the T20 World Cup."
Aakash Chopra, a former opener for India, was surprised by the number of changes made so close to the tournament. He commented, "Wow... that's quite a few changes right before the World Cup. Jitesh must be confused about his exclusion. Rinku is back where he belongs. Why was he left out previously? I'm happy for Ishan—both keepers are similar in batting style. Axar returns as vice-captain, and the experiment with Gill seems to be over."
Commentator Harsha Bhogle commended the selectors for their bold decisions, particularly the choice to omit Gill.
The squad announcement was made by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia at the board's headquarters, alongside captain Suryakumar Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
India's 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).