Gill dropped from India’s T20 WC squad, Axar is deputy to Surya; Rinku, Ishan return

MUMBAI: Suryakumar Yadav will be leading a 15-man strong squad in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, with Shubman Gill, till yet the vice-captain of the T20I team being dropped from the squad amid fitness and form concerns, and Axar Patel getting back the deputy duties.

Also, wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan returns to the side as a second wicketkeeper-batter choice on the back of a title-winning campaign for Jharkhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) recently, where he also emerged as the top run-getter.

The team was announced by the BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia at the board’s headquarters on Saturday in the presence of captain Suryakumar Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar on Saturday. Speaking at the news conference Agarkar said that Gill had missed out due to the fact that India was looking at alternate combinations at the top of the order. The Chief Selector also reiterated that Gill was a champion player.

The same squad will play the @IDFCFIRSTBank 5-match T20I series against New Zealand in January.#TeamIndia | #INDvNZ https://t.co/o94Vdqo8j5

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 20, 2025

Gill, who did not feature in the fifth and final T20I against South Africa due to a foot injury sustained before the fourth T20I, which was cancelled due to fog, has been dropped amid concerns about his fitness and form. Since his return to the side during the Asia Cup as a vice-captain on the back of a strong England Test tour, he could not replicate his fine Test form in T20Is, scoring just 291 runs in 15 matches and innings at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of above 137 with no fifties and a best score of 47.

Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma have been sealed as the opening pair for Team India, with Rinku Singh also making a comeback in the side, having last batted for India during the Asia Cup final and having hit the winning run. He also featured in a T20I against Australia at Brisbane in November, but did not get to bat as match was washed out due to rain.

Ishan, who had a marvellous SMAT 2025/26 campaign with Jharkhand, leading them to their first-ever SMAT title, has returned to the side, having last played a T20I against Australia in late 2023. He top-scored in SMAT with 517 runs in 10 innings at an average of 57.44, with two centuries and two fifties, including a century in the final against Haryana and striking at above 195.

Tilak Varma, pace all-rounders Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, spin all-rounders Axar, Washington Sundar and Rinku Singh give a lot of firepower and depth to the Indian middle-order. Kuldeep Yadav is the specialist spinner with Varun Chakravarthy, while Jasprit Bumrah leads the pace bowling attack featuring Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.

India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2026 and New Zealand T20I series: 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). (ANI)