The BCCI’s senior selection committee, chaired by Ajit Agarkar, will hold a meeting in Mumbai on Saturday to finalize the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2026. India will be preparing for the tournament that is scheduled to start on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka. Although the selection of players is said to be almost the same as it was last time, still the main talks will be about Shubman Gill’s last weeks’ poor performance and the selection of either all-rounder Washington Sundar or batsman Rinku Singh.
Since Suryakumar Yadav took over as captain following India’s T20 World Cup win in the Caribbean, the squad has remained stable, with only minor changes. Shubman Gill has been promoted as an opener alongside Abhishek Sharma since the Asia Cup, which resulted in Sanju Samson moving down the order. However, Gill’s performance in his last 15 innings—high score 47 vs Pakistan, low scores including 0, 4, and 8—has raised concerns among selectors.
With young talent like Yashasvi Jaiswal waiting in the wings and Ishan Kishan recently scoring a century in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20s, Gill’s spot is being closely monitored. Despite the struggles, he is likely to retain his place given his leadership roles in India’s Test and ODI squads and the five remaining T20Is against New Zealand to regain form.
Selectors are also debating whether to include Rinku Singh or Washington Sundar. Rinku could provide backup for in-form instability among top-order batters, while Washington offers multi-dimensional skills with both bat and ball—particularly valuable with India playing in India and Sri Lanka. The spin section of the team comprising Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, and maybe Washington will be confirmed together with the fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana. The side is likely to stick with the two wicketkeepers, Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma, and two allrounders, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube.
The last selection is meant to provide a mix of experience, form, and adaptability to the home conditions thus India’s T20 World Cup campaign is already prepared.
