The BCCI officially named India’s 15-man roster for the 2026 T20 World Cup. The showpiece ICC competition will start in the subcontinent on February 7.
India, who currently hold the title of T20 World Cup as well as being the top ranked T20I team in the world, will likely emerge as frontrunners for the competition. It helped us build over the 2 years with an unchanged side which has been their best.
But the selectors and team management adopted a few bold decisions when finalising their squad for their next big event. In the process, some decent folks have gotten shafted.
India’s squad for the T20 World Cup: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.
On that point, here are three players who were unlucky to be left out of India’s T20 World Cup roster.
3. Shubman Gill
On pure performances, Shubman Gill’s exclusion from the T20 World Cup squad was justified. The right-hander has endured a prolonged lean patch in T20Is, and his place was under scrutiny long before the selectors finally pulled the plug.
However, the manner in which the decision was handled raises serious questions. Reports suggest Gill was not informed in advance and was caught off guard by the call. In fact, he would have featured in the fifth T20I against South Africa—even after taking painkillers—had he known his spot was at risk.
Given that Gill was appointed India’s T20I vice-captain not too long ago, the sudden axing is bound to sting. While his batting form leaves little room for defence, the BCCI’s lack of clarity and foresight in managing a senior player ahead of a marquee tournament reflects poor planning.
2. Yashasvi Jaiswal
Despite India heading into the T20 World Cup without Shubman Gill at the top, Yashasvi Jaiswal has also been left out of the 15-man squad—a decision that feels particularly harsh. One of India’s most explosive and reliable openers in the format, the left-hander can count himself extremely unlucky.
The selectors’ preference for a wicketkeeper at the top of the order worked against Jaiswal, as that is not a skillset he currently offers. Even so, considering his consistent international performances and outstanding IPL record, his omission is difficult to justify.
Jaiswal’s case highlights a recurring issue—despite delivering whenever opportunities arise, he has been unable to cement his T20I spot due to shifting team combinations and changing selection priorities.
1. Jitesh Sharma
Only two T20Is back, and it looked like Jitesh Sharma had nailed down the keeper’s spot for India. Cut to present and he is not even in the T20 World Cup squad as Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh have been preferred over him.
Jitesh isn’t the best batsman in the world—it’s no secret that he has weaknesses against high pace and short length. But he has done pretty good since returning to the T20I side. But he has also been in and out of the team complementing Sanju Samson, never getting a consistent stretch to find his rhythm.
The right-arm pacer looked a better bowler in the IPL 2025, but was never given time to transpose those improvements at the international level. Which is why Jitesh has every reason to feel let down by the selectors and the absence of unwavering support.
