Mumbai, Dec 20 (NationPress) The announcement of Team India’s roster for the T20 World Cup 2026 took place on Saturday, delivering a significant surprise as Shubman Gill was left out of the lineup. Axar Patel has been appointed as the vice-captain, while Ishan Kishan made a spectacular return to the international cricket arena.

The squad also saw Jitesh Sharma being replaced by Rinku Singh. With Gill's absence, Sanju Samson is expected to take the lead at the top of the batting order and is likely to retain wicketkeeping duties following his stellar display in the recent fifth T20I against South Africa last Friday.

During a joint press conference at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquarters, secretary Devajit Saikia, T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar engaged with the media.

As for the decision to omit Gill from the World Cup squad, chief selector Agarkar remarked, “We’re aiming for continuity; our goal is to have a keeper batting at the top. We recognize the caliber of Shubman, despite his recent struggles with scoring. It’s all about the overall combination. Some players will inevitably miss out on certain formats due to their involvement in others. Let’s not overanalyze this. Gill has been the top batter globally for the past few years. He understands what he needs to do and what’s required, and we hope he returns to form by the time the World Cup arrives.”

“We have consistently discussed what the ideal combination is and how to move forward. Was anyone's position jeopardized? Nobody seems to notice Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was part of the previous T20 WC squad but is absent now. This, as I said, is the best combination we have assembled for the upcoming tournament,” he elaborated.

Discussing Ishan Kishan's international comeback and his selection for the World Cup following his recent heroics in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Agarkar stated, “He plays at the top in white-ball formats and has been in excellent form. We believe having a keeper at the top provides us with more options.”

The squad's abundance of all-rounders was highlighted by Agarkar, who mentioned, “The selection of numerous all-rounders gives us adaptability. We have a couple of all-rounders in Axar and Washi. We are fortunate to have several wrist spinners as well. The combination we utilize will depend on our opponent; it will be determined on the day, but we have many options to consider.”

Commenting on deserving players who did not make the cut and the possibilities left unexplored, Agarkar expressed, “Even if we discuss ten other names, this is the fifteen we have chosen for now. It’s always encouraging when players shine in various tournaments, but this is the squad we believe to be formidable.”

India’s T20I captain, Suryakumar, expressed satisfaction with the selections, stating that the squad appears well-rounded. “The squad seems balanced; we’ve effectively filled each position and have various combinations at our disposal. So, we’re quite pleased,” he stated.

Regarding Gill’s exclusion, he mentioned, “It’s not about his form or anything; it’s merely about the combinations. We aimed to have a keeper at the top and players like Rinku or Washington in the lower order.”

Regarding Tilak Varma’s position, he remarked, “Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) and I have started to think that the left-right combination is somewhat overrated, but we have secured that position in the batting order for Tilak.”

On the top-order combination, he stated, “Starting strong in this format is crucial. We wanted to win the PowerPlay, and after analyzing how to achieve that, we opted for this combination. I revisit my old footage where I’ve batted effectively. I’ve been batting beautifully in the nets.”

Surya’s recent performance has been a topic of considerable discussion. When queried about it, he replied, “This phase has been somewhat prolonged; every player encounters such stretches in their careers. I understand what to work on and have five matches against New Zealand to regain my form.”

Finally, Saikia responded to a media inquiry regarding the absence of reserve players, stating, “There are no standbys for this squad currently, as the tournament is being held in our own country. Adjustments can and will be made as necessary.”

India's Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Axar Patel (vice-captain), Arshdeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.