T20 World Cup 2026: Top 3 shocking exclusions from India squad

Published - 20 Dec 2025, 15:01 IST | Updated - 20 Dec 2025, 15:37 IST

Team India announced their squad for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, with Suryakumar Yadav leading the power-packed 15-man line-up. The event is less than a couple of months away, and the Indian team made a huge change by renaming all-rounder Axar Patel as the vice-captain, with the co-hosts starting their campaign with a Group A clash against the United States of America on February 7 in Mumbai.

Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh — the two attacking left-handed batters made a surprise comeback to the squad. Ishan is coming on the back of a brilliant campaign as the captain of Jharkhand, as they won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025. Kishan also topped the charts with 517 runs Meanwhile, a few names have also been unlucky, as the incoming namesT20 World Cup 2026: Top 3 shocking exclusions from India squadT20 World Cup 2026: Top 3 shocking exclusions from India squad meant that some had to see themselves being ignored by the BCCI.

Nitish Kumar Reddy announced himself in the Indian team with a bang, smashing 74 off just 34 balls in his debut T20I series. While his stay has been very limited in the shortest format of the game, he has proven himself a lot of impactful performances in the little opportunities that he has had. However, India's middle-order is packed with proven batters.

The 22-year-old is also a very handy bowling option, and can bowl crucial middle overs, providing breakthroughs at will. However, the presence of senior fast-bowling all-rounders — Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube, meant that Reddy has to wait for his time, as he will continue to toil in the domestic circuit. If picked, though, he would have been nothing but an asset for the side.