When will Team India announce its T20 World Cup 2026 squad? Report

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to announce India’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in the first week of January 2026. According to a report by news agency PTI, the senior men’s selection committee will name the squad for both the five-match T20I series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup on the same day.

A BCCI source quoted by PTI confirmed that the squad selected for the New Zealand T20Is will also serve as India’s final squad for the global event. This makes the upcoming home series against New Zealand India’s last international assignment before the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, 2026.

India’s World Cup campaign will begin on February 7 in Mumbai against the USA. The Men in Blue will then face Namibia on February 12 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, followed by a high-profile clash against co-hosts Sri Lanka on February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. India’s final group-stage match will be against the Netherlands on February 18 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

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Suryakumar set to lead as uncertainty surrounds Shubman Gill’s place

Suryakumar Yadav is expected to continue as India’s T20I captain despite recent criticism over his batting form. While his run-scoring has dipped, his leadership record in the shortest format remains strong, making a change in captaincy highly unlikely so close to the tournament.

However, questions remain over the future of vice-captain Shubman Gill in T20Is. Gill, who leads India in Tests and ODIs, has struggled for consistency in the shortest format, and his place in the squad is reportedly under scrutiny. If selectors decide to move on, Yashasvi Jaiswal, part of India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad, could be a strong contender for his spot.

India will head into the 2026 T20 World Cup as defending champions, having lifted the title in 2024 with a memorable seven-run victory over South Africa in the final.