India spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has announced the playing XI for India’s first match of the T20 World Cup 2026 against the USA at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Notably, Ishan Kishan has been excluded from the team despite his strong performance in the recent New Zealand series. Chahal suggested Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma as the opening pair, showing confidence in their abilities.
Chahal expressed faith in Tilak Varma, who is set to return from injury, to take the number three batting position. The team’s T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, is slated to bat at No. 4, with Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Rinku Singh forming the middle order and finisher roles. The bowling lineup includes two spinners, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy, along with seamers Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, leaving no place for Kuldeep Yadav in the playing XI.
India, the defending champions, are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, the USA, the Netherlands, and Namibia in the T20 World Cup. The team aims to achieve several milestones, including being the first to successfully defend the Men’s T20 World Cup title and the first to win the tournament on home soil. Chahal’s finalized playing XI comprises Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, and Jasprit Bumrah.
