The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will get underway on February 7. The tournament will feature the world’s top 20 teams battling for cricket’s biggest T20 prize. Team India enter the competition as defending champions and will be eager to create history by becoming the first side to win the coveted trophy on home soil. With massive expectations and passionate home crowds, the pressure will be firmly on the hosts to deliver another memorable campaign.

As with every T20 World Cup, team selection has thrown up a few surprises ahead of the 2026 edition. While several players from the 2024 tournament featured prominently back then, not all have managed to retain their spots this time. A handful of high-profile names have been left out following changes in form, team balance, or strategy. Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, India have assembled a strong squad, even as some familiar faces from 2024 miss out on the final cut.

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Here are the top 3 Indian players who played in the 2024 T20 World Cup but are missing in 2026;

3. Mohammed Siraj

Although Mohammed Siraj was part of the victorious Indian team at the T20 World Cup 2024, he has missed out on selection for the T20 World Cup 2026 as the team has changed the dynamics of squads that include players that play various formats and different conditions with match specific performances being required. However, Siraj remains an important player in the Test and ODI formats but he doesn't have as much of a role in the T20 format as he did in previous years.

Siraj has had to deal with a high level of competition from younger players and fast bowling all-rounders like Harshit Rana as these players not only bowl fast but give added batting depth to a side as well. Indian management has placed a high priority on selecting players who have specific skill sets and can be adjusted depending on who is playing in the opposition side. For this reason, Sri was not selected despite his high level of experience. Siraj hasn't played in the T20 format since July 2024 when he played against Sri Lanka where he dropped further down the order as the Indian T20 team has moved away from older combinations and will now look towards players who can provide them enjoyment now and in the future.

2. Yashasvi Jaiswal

Many people were shocked when it was announced that Yashasvi Jaiswal wouldn’t be included in the T20 World Cup squad in 2026. He was an important part of the 2024 tournament and had established himself as one of India’s brightest young batting talents. He had been expected to be a long-term choice in this format of the game, having been the third option for the opening position behind Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli during the successful 2024 Indian T20 World Cup. His aggressive batting style, along with his ability to score runs quickly at the start of an innings, had made him a key player for future T20 World Cups.

However, due to a loss of form and the emergence of several other top-order players, Jaiswal’s selection was adversely affected. Significant contributions from the likes of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan have only added to their selection credentials. As team management looked for players in form, who could play flexible roles within the team, Jaiswal was left out of the squad despite clearly being a capable player. Jaiswal has not played T20 international cricket since July 2024, against Sri Lanka, after which he was no longer considered for selection.

1. Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant is the biggest name missing from the players who participated in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He was part of India's world champion squad in 2022 when he provided a serviceable and frequently used option as their primary wicketkeeper over the previous two years; therefore, not being selected this time, despite being involved with the team recently and being back on track with his recent form after injury, has left some fans and many analysts stunned.

Indian team management seems to have gone with a different formula than they did in preparing for the 2026 T20 World Cup, with a very short slump in Pant's performance leading to his exclusion and other players Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan being included instead as wicketkeeper/batter candidates. Although the tournament will begin on February 7 at multiple locations throughout India and Sri Lanka, he will not be there with his name as one of the best T20 players from India.