BCCI is set to announce India’s 15-member T20 World Cup 2026 squad after the South Africa series. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, the defending champions are expected to retain most of the current core ahead of the ICC submission deadline.
Team India is currently part of an ongoing five-match T20I against South Africa, with the final match to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, December 19. The Men in Blue, led by Suryakumar Yadav, are currently the series 2-1 over the Proteas and will look to seal the series with a win in the decider.
After the conclusion of the T20I series against South Africa, India will have their final preparation for the T20 World Cup 2026 in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which will take place in New Zealand. The home T20I series against South Africa and New Zealand are part of the Men in Blue’s preparation for the marquee event, as the tournament will take place in India and Sri Lanka, starting on February 7.
India will enter the marquee as the defending champions of the T20 World Cup, having won the title last year under the leadership of Rohit Sharma. In the upcoming edition of the tournament, the Men in Blue will defend their crown under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav, with Shubman Gill as his deputy. This follows the retirement of Rohit, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja from international T20 cricket, effective after the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph.
When Will BCCI Announce the T20 World Cup Squad?
As the anticipation for the T20 World Cup is inevitable, as the tournament is taking place on Indian soil, with Sri Lanka as its co-host, and India are defending champions of the tournament. Having not lost a single T20I since their T20 World Cup win last year, the Men in Blue enter the final phase of preparations with confidence and clarity ahead of the marquee tournament.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will reportedly announce the 15-member India squad on Saturday, November 20. The squad will take place a day after the fifth and final T20I series against South Africa in Ahmedabad. The BCCI chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, is expected to hold the press conference at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai, the confirmation of which is yet to be officially announced by the board.
The squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup is expected to be similar to India’s squad for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, as the BCCI selection committee is unlikely to make major changes so close to the tournament.
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As per the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s rule, all the participating teams of the T20 World Cup 2026 must submit their provisional squad by January 8, 30 days before the marquee event begins on February 7. However, the BCCI is expected to announce the squad much prior to the deadline, giving the team ample time to prepare and settle before the start of the tournament.
Any changes to the final squad can be made up to a week before in case of injury. After the second deadline, the teams will have to seek permission from the ICC before making changes to their squads.
What to Expect from India’s Squad Announcement?
The BCCI selection committee is expected to back continuity and stick largely with the players currently involved in the ongoing T20I series against South Africa. However, the major concerns for the selectors and team management are India skipper Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Shubman Gill’s form. Suryakumar and Shubman have been struggling with their form in the ongoing T20I series against South Africa.
Suryakumar Yadav has scored just two fifties since taking over India’s T20I captaincy in July last year, while Shubman Gill has crossed the 30-run mark just three times since his return to the T20I setup during the Asia Cup 2025. Gill has reportedly been ruled out of the fifth and final T20I against South Africa. However, the selectors will expect the captain and vice-captain to regain their rhythm before the tournament.
Abhishek Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Sanju Samson, and Jitesh Sharma are expected to retain their place in the squad. However, there is a lack of clarity over Samson’s role since his demotion from opener to middle order since Gill’s return to the T20I setup. In the ongoing T20I series against South Africa, Jitesh Sharma was preferred over a Kerala cricketer as wicketkeeper in the playing XI.
In the bowling unit, Jasprit Bumrah is expected to lead the pace attack, with Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana likely to support him. Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav are likely to be the only spin bowling specialists in the squad.