England declare provisional squad for T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka

Jofra Archer, who has been ruled out of the ongoing Ashes 2025/26, has been named in the provisional squad of the England side for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. He has been nursing a left side strain that ruled him out of the series. The 15-member squad includes Josh Tongue, uncapped in the limited-overs cricket under Harry Brook’s leadership.

Head coach Brendon McCullum and Brook expect Tongue to be a strike bowler on the flatter pitches of India and Sri Lanka. Jamie Smith has been axed from the limited-overs, while Ben Duckett returns to the squad after being away from the New Zealand trip ahead of the Australia series.

See Also: Team India’s 2026 full cricket schedule: World Cup fixtures, dates, venues, all you need to know

Archer is recovering in Barbados under the supervision of the ECB’s medical team and will miss the three ODIs and three T20Is in Sri Lanka, which begins on January 22, with Brydon Carse staying on after the 50-over games to fill in. He is expected to join the squad in India ahead of the Group C match against Nepal in Mumbai.

England announce T20 World Cup 2026 squad

After the opening game against Nepal, England will lock horns with West Indies in Mumbai on February 11 before they take on Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens, which will also host their last group-stage clash against Italy on February 16. 

Tongue has been an interesting choice in the squad. He, however, was the leading wicket-taker in this year’s Men’s The Hundred competition with 14 wickets and has impressed in the two Ashes with 12 at 18.58, which includes his match-winning 5/45 at the MCG, as part of the match figures of 7/89.

England, who lifted the title in 2022 under Jos Buttler’s captaincy, finished as the semi-finalists in the last season, where they lost the clash against India. They previously won the event in 2010 and 2022.

England’s squad for T20 World Cup 2026

Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood.