List of Indian Players who will play their first T20 World Cup in 2026

Published - 11 Jan 2026, 14:03 IST | Updated - 11 Jan 2026, 18:27 IST

There will be as many as five Indian players who will be featuring in the marquee event for the first time. Sanju Samson has not played a match in the T20 World Cup, but has not been kept on the list because he has been part of the tournament before.

Since Suryakumar Yadav took up the role of captaincy of the T20 team in 2024 and joined hands with head coach Gautam Gambhir, several youngsters have gotten a chance to showcase their skills. Also, after the 2024 T20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja retired from the format. India had to go through a transition period, but Suryakumar and Co. have not lost a T20I series so far.

In this article, let's take a look at the five Indian players who will be playing the T20 World Cup for the first time.

Tilak Varma recently underwent surgery after being diagnosed with testicular torsion, raising concerns over his availability for the T20 World Cup. However, many believe that the southpaw will recover in time for the 20-team tournament.

Tilak has been a dependable batter for India in the shortest format. He played a gem of an innings in the Asia Cup final against Pakistan last year. Also, his back-to-back centuries in South Africa showed that he is an immensely skilful player.