Former India Spinner Ashwin Pleased with T20 World Cup 2026 Squad Selection

Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed happiness with India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad selection, mentioning the team’s readiness for the upcoming tournament. He congratulated Sanju Samson and praised Ishan Kishan’s return to international cricket.
In a surprising move, the defending champions India have left out Shubman Gill from the squad for the T20 World Cup next year and the upcoming T20Is against New Zealand. The squad announcement was made by BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, captain Suryakumar Yadav, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar, with Axar Patel appointed as the vice-captain.
Apart from Gill, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has also been excluded, while Ishan Kishan has made a remarkable comeback after an impressive performance leading Jharkhand to victory in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Rinku Singh has also returned to the T20I squad after missing out on the series win in South Africa.
Ashwin expressed his excitement for the title defense and praised the squad, especially welcoming Rinku back and acknowledging Sanju’s new role alongside Abhishek. He also applauded Ishan for his dedication in the domestic circuit.
The Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled from February 7 to March 8, will include 40 group matches to be completed by February 20. The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Eights starting on February 21.
India and Sri Lanka are co-hosting the Men’s T20 World Cup for the second time, with Sri Lanka hosting in 2012 and India in 2016. Following a three-match ODI series, India will play five T20Is against New Zealand starting on January 21 in Nagpur, with matches also planned in Raipur, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and Thiruvananthapuram.
In the Men’s T20 World Cup, India, the defending champions, are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, and Namibia. India will begin their campaign against the USA at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 7, followed by a match against Namibia at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on February 12.
India’s highly anticipated match against Pakistan is scheduled for February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Their final league game will be against the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 18.
India Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, and Ishan Kishan.