Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane has left out left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav while naming his probable Men in Blue XI for the T20 World Cup 2026. The tournament begins on February 7 and will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. India will start their campaign against the USA at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

On February 6, during a Q&A on his Instagram stories, Rahane said Sanju Samson should open with Abhishek Sharma, despite Samson scoring only 46 runs in five innings in the recent T20I series against New Zealand. At No. 3, Rahane picked Tilak Varma, with Ishan Kishan as another option.

The middle order has captain Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4, followed by all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube. At No. 7, Rahane chose Rinku Singh, with vice-captain Axar Patel next. The bowling attack includes mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy and two fast bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.

Also read -The historic Sinhalese Sports Club steps into the floodlights ahead of T20 World Cup 2026

Rahane’s Predicted Men in Blue XI for T20 World Cup 2026

Former India captain Ajinkya Rahane has shared his predicted Men in Blue XI for the T20 World Cup 2026. His line-up is: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma/Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, and Jasprit Bumrah.

Rahane Picks Finalists and Dark Horses

During the same Instagram Q&A session, Rahane predicted India and South Africa as the finalists for the T20 World Cup 2026. These two teams also played the final in 2024, where Rohit Sharma’s India beat South Africa by seven runs.

He also named Rashid Khan’s Afghanistan as the dark horses of the tournament. In the last edition, Afghanistan reached the semi-finals before losing to South Africa. This time, they are in a tough Group D with South Africa, New Zealand, the UAE, and Canada.

Indian cricket is going through a transition in the shortest format. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli no longer part of India’s T20 plans, the team management is now focusing on younger players and a more attacking style of cricket. While this shows a long-term plan for the future, it has also raised concerns about the loss of experience in pressure situations.

With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup coming closer, one big question is being discussed everywhere — will India miss Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli on the biggest stage? This discussion became stronger after former India batter Ajinkya Rahane spoke about the issue in Cricbuzz’s popular True or False segment.

In the Cricbuzz segment, Rahane said that players like Rohit and Kohli add great value to any team. He explained that their experience of playing in high-pressure ICC tournaments, understanding match situations, and handling expectations is not easy to replace. Rahane also pointed out that senior players often make the difference in close matches, especially in knockout games.

Watch the video here:

Will India miss Rohit-Kohli at the T20 WC 🤔

Watch @ajinkyarahane88's true or false segment, right here pic.twitter.com/c2sFxxjFak

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) January 29, 2026

Also read -"..Both had a good laugh": Legendary cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin shuts down fan rumours of rift with Virat Kohli

Rahane Dismisses Pakistan Boycott Talk

Meanwhile, the Mumbai batter, who has played a lot of cricket against Pakistan, said that Pakistan cannot boycott the upcoming T20 World Cup. He claimed that all the noise around a possible boycott is only for show and meant for optics. Rahane also said that they do not have the courage to stay away from such a big tournament.

Rahane’s comments have come at a time when several rumours are going around. Some reports say that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) might boycott the match against India, which is scheduled to be played on February 15. Other reports claim that the Pakistan team may wear black armbands as a form of protest.

Speaking on Cricbuzz, Rahane made his view clear and said, “I don’t think they will do it. They don’t have the guts.”

Rahane Backs Abhishek Sharma’s High-Risk Approach

In the same interview, Ajinkya Rahane spoke about India’s young opener Abhishek Sharma and his impact in T20 cricket. Abhishek has been impressive at the top of the order and has given India fast starts in the shortest format.

Reflecting on his approach, Rahane said that the Indian team needs to plan smartly around Abhishek’s aggressive style of play. He explained that Abhishek plays a high-risk game, which can sometimes lead to early dismissals, but also has the potential to win matches on his own.

“With Abhishek Sharma, it’s going to happen. He plays that high-risk game. When it works, he can be a match-winner. There will be times when he may get out for zero, maybe even on the first ball, and that can happen in a World Cup,” Rahane told Cricbuzz after the fourth T20I.

The former Indian captain and the recognized middle-order batter, Ajinkya Rahane, has felt that Pakistan is in no stage to boycott the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, starting February 07. The Pakistan Cricket dragged themselves into the story of BCB vs BCCI, stating that if Bangladesh is shown the exit door, then they may pull out of the event.

Multiple reports claimed that there would be a possibility of forfeiting the game against the Indian side. Earlier this week, the PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, confirmed that a decision would be taken by February 02, with the likely outcome being the government’s green light for the travel of the Pakistan side to Sri Lanka.

See Also: Watch: Axar Patel shares heartwarming story from the day he received his maiden India call-up

“I don’t think they will do it. They don’t have the guts.” Rahane expressed during the interaction on Cricbuzz as he refused to believe that the Pakistan side would be able to boycott the World Cup. They will play the opening clash of the event as per the current schedule on February 07 against Netherlands.

Ajinkya Rahane claims ‘no guts’ for PCB on T20 World Cup 2026 boycott

Pakistan has deferred its decision on the T0 World Cup 2026, as the PCB chief, Mohsin Naqvi, met with the Prime Minister of the country, Shehbaz Sharif, to discuss the matter, just two days after his comments on the national team’s participation that would be left up to the competition.

“Had a productive meeting with the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif," Briefed him on the ICC matter, and he directed that we resolve it while keeping all options on the table. It was agreed that the final decision [on participation] will be taken either on Friday or next Monday.” Naqvi addressed in a X post (formerly known as Twitter).

“You can't have double standards. You can't say for one country [India] they can do whatever they want, and for the others to have to do the complete opposite. That's why we've taken this stand and made clear that Bangladesh has had an injustice done to it. They should play in the World Cup; they are a major stakeholder in cricket.” He concluded.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar died today in a tragic plane crash in Baramati. Four other people also lost their lives. The accident happened around 8:45 AM while the aircraft was landing.

Ajit Pawar was travelling to Baramati to attend a public rally ahead of the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections. He was 66 years old and a senior leader of the NCP. He was flying from Mumbai to Baramati in a Lear Jet 45 aircraft with registration number VT-SSK.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed deep grief over the loss of his ally and announced three days of state mourning. Many people across the country reacted with sadness. Cricketers Sachin Tendulkar and Ajinkya Rahane also shared their condolences on Ajit Pawar’s sudden death.

Cricketers mourn Ajit Pawar’s death

Sachin Tendulkar said that Maharashtra has lost a dedicated leader after the death of Ajit Pawar. He shared his condolences with Pawar’s family and friends. Sachin wrote on X that he was very sad to hear about the untimely death of Ajit Pawar and said that Pawar worked for the people across the state.

Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin also reacted with shock. He said he was deeply shaken by the news of the plane crash. He offered his heartfelt condolences to the family and prayed for strength and peace.

Former India cricketer and politician Yusuf Pathan also expressed his sadness. He said Ajit Pawar was a committed leader who served Maharashtra with honesty and dedication. He added that Pawar’s work for public service would always be remembered. Yusuf Pathan also asked for a proper investigation into the plane crash.

अजित पवार यांच्या निधनाची बातमी ऐकून खूप दुःख झाले. महाराष्ट्रासाठी काम करणारा एक चांगला नेता आज आपण अचानक गमावला आहे. पवार कुटुंबियांच्या दुःखात मी सहभागी आहे. ईश्वर त्यांच्या आत्म्यास शांती देवो.
भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजली. ॐ शांती. 🙏🏽

Very sad to learn about the untimely demise of…

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 28, 2026

Saddened by the tragic passing of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar dada. My thoughts are with his family. 🙏

— Ajinkya Rahane (@ajinkyarahane88) January 28, 2026

Deeply shaken by the news of Mr. Ajit Pawar’s plane crash. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones. May his soul rest in eternal peace, and may his family find the strength and courage to endure this profound loss.

— Mohammed Azharuddin (@azharflicks) January 28, 2026

Deeply saddened by the untimely demise of the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr Ajit Pawar in the tragic plane crash. He was a dedicated leader who served the state with utmost commitment and integrity. His contributions to public service and the development of the…

— Yusuf Pathan (@iamyusufpathan) January 28, 2026

About Ajit Pawar

Ajit Pawar was a senior leader from Maharashtra and represented the Baramati Assembly constituency. He led the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction). He was known as a strong administrator with deep influence in state politics.

He started his political journey in 1982 through a sugar cooperative. In 1991, he became an MLA from Baramati and continued to represent the area for many years. He held several important cabinet posts and served many times as Deputy Chief Minister.

In 2019, he briefly joined hands with the BJP, but the alliance ended within days. Later, he joined the MVA government and, in 2023, aligned with the Shinde-BJP group. Ajit Pawar is survived by his wife Sunetra Pawar and his sons, Parth and Jay.

India won the match in Guwahati and also won the 5-match T20I series against New Zealand, ahead of the T20I World Cup 2026. The three straight wins were important for the team’s morale. The confidence of the players and the head coach, Gautam Gambhir, should be high before the big tournament.

Team India’s confidence had taken a hit when New Zealand, with several new players, won the 3-match ODI series. After that, Gautam Gambhir faced a lot of criticism on social media. This was not the first time he had to deal with critics.

Since joining Team India as head coach, Gautam Gambhir has seen many highs and lows. While India stays strong in T20Is, they have struggled in Tests and ODIs at times. Many cricket fans on social media asked the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to remove Gautam Gambhir from his position.

Also read -5 records made by India in IND vs NZ 2026 3rd T20I ft. Surya Kumar Yadav

BCCI trusts Gambhir ahead of T20I World Cup 2026

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has trust in former cricketer Gautam Gambhir. Even though India has struggled in Tests and ODIs under his coaching, the team remains strong in the shorter format. This is very important ahead of the T20I World Cup 2026. India will enter the tournament as defending champions and is a favourite to retain the title.

Ajinkya Rahane suggests Gambhir stay away from social media

After India’s 3rd T20I win against New Zealand, former Indian skipper Ajinkya Rahane advised Gambhir. Rahane suggested that Gambhir avoid social media to stay away from unnecessary thoughts. He said coaching Team India is a very responsible job.

“My only response is that GG should stay away from social media. He should not think too much about what people are saying. He played his cricket well, and now he is coaching India, which is a big responsibility,” Rahane said on Cricbuzz.

“He should focus on the team and stay away from social media until the World Cup is over. That is my personal opinion,” he added.

India’s poor results under Gambhir’s coaching

During Gambhir’s tenure, India was whitewashed by New Zealand in a three-match Test series at home. They also lost the two-match Test series against South Africa.

In ODIs, India suffered defeats against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. In both cases, India had a stronger team on paper but failed to perform on the field.

Mumbai cricket is hit by a major blow, as the former India captain and one of their mainstays has informed the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) about his unavailability for the remaining part of the red-ball season. The news broke out on the Saturday (January 17) morning.

Mumbai is scheduled to play two more Ranji Trophy 2025-26 matches. First, they will play against Hyderabad in an away fixture on January 22–25, and then against Delhi at the MCA-BKC ground from January 29 to February 1. Mumbai will have to play these two matches without the service of Ajinkya Rahane.

According to media reports, Rahane, 37, pulled himself out of the contests, citing 'personal reasons'; the MCA confirmed on Saturday. MCA is expected to announce the squad ahead of the Hyderabad match soon. Now, the team officials will have to select the team without Rahane.

Read More: Watch: Sahibzada Farhan's 'You can't see me' gesture goes wrong against local Bangladeshi bowler

Ajinkya Rahane will not feature for Mumbai in the remaining Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season

The experienced Indian batter has been a key figure for the Mumbai cricket team for the past two seasons and has not featured for the Indian national team since July 2023. In the ongoing domestic season, Rahane's form remains below par according to his standard. In the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, the right-handed batter is all set to play for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the second consecutive season.

Rahane claimed a half-century in his previous appearance for Mumbai, scoring an unbeaten 72 against Rajasthan in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. In the same tournament, Rahane remained unbeaten for 95 during a match against Odisha on December 8. But he won the recently held Vijay Hazare Trophy.

The veteran Indian batter and the current captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Ajinkya Rahane, has shed light on the mental side of Harshit Rana and his journey after the latter was trolled on social media platforms, as he revealed how the young fast bowler learned to deal with criticism and online trolling before producing a superb performance for India. 

Ajinkya Rahane felt that Rana was under the impact of trolls during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, particularly when the results didn’t go his way for the Knight Riders. Rahane, during an interaction on Cricbuzz, explained that he noticed a change in Rana’s body language and decided to address this matter in the competition. 

See Also: Watch: Yuzvendra Chahal analyses bond and leadership skill with Rohit Sharma

“See, we actually spoke about social media when he was playing in the IPL last year. In certain matches, he did not do well, and I saw basically, a little nervous, a little sad. I was talking about it. It was bothering him.” Rahane said of Rana, who ended with two vital wickets of two New Zealand openers, Devon Conway and Henry Nicholas, to break the 117-run opening stand.

Ajinkya Rahane sheds light on Harshit Rana’s online trolls

Later coming into the chase at number seven, the right-handed batter contributed 29 runs in 23 balls at a strike rate of 126.09, thanks to two boundaries and one six, which helped to take the pressure off KL Rahul, who later completed the chase.

Watch the video here: 

pic.twitter.com/cjaEIgxJ8b

— Tom Banton (@adi_exe07) January 11, 2026

“He said that people are talking about me, but that actually motivates me. This is what he said. When I see all the comments, when I see what they are writing about me, they don’t know how hard I have worked in my bowling.” The KKR captain added.

“I have seen him using AirPods during practice sessions when he was bowling, just to cut out the noise. Initially, we wondered why he was doing that. Later, we realised he just wanted to shut everything out. When he bowls, he wants to stay in the zone and maintain the same intensity and mindset.” Rahane highlighted.

Brief Scores: India 306/6 (Virat Kohli 93, Shubman Gill 56, Kyle Jamieson 4/41) beat New Zealand 300/8 (Daryl Mitchell 84, Henry Nicholas 62, Mohammad Siraj 2/40) by four wickets.

Kolkata Knight Riders is all set for another Indian Premier League (IPL) season. After a setback in the previous campaign, the multi-time IPL-winning side is eyeing a redemption in IPL 2026. For which, they have built a strong squad on paper. They bought Cameron Green and Matheesha Pathirana from the IPL 2026 auction against a big chunk of the amount. 

But who will be in charge to lead the team? Before the auction, there was a lot of speculation about Sanju Samson and KL Rahul's future in the league. There were strong beliefs that both of the players were linked with KKR. Samson joined Chennai Super Kings, and Rahul stayed at Delhi Capitals ahead of the new IPL season. 

A video of KKR CEO, Venky Mysore, is surfacing on social media platforms. There, he mentioned Ajinkya Rahane's contribution as the leader of the team. 

• Read More: Watch: Venky Mysore reveals KKR captain name for IPL 2026 season

"Pathirana, Mustafizur (Rahman), Harshit Rana, Akash Deep, Vaibhav (Arora), and Umran Malik. Then you add Sunil (Narine), Varun (Chakravarthy), and Cameron Green. That's a strong bowling attack, I can say that for sure. Batting also is Ajinkya Rahane as the captain."

Venky Mysore has revealed KKR’s captain for IPL 2026 🚨

— In an interview on Star Sports, he said that Ajinkya Rahane will be the captain of our 2026 squad.pic.twitter.com/BBrorCAsgR

— KKR Karavan (@KkrKaravan) December 18, 2025

KKR IPL 2026 full squad:

Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Matheesha Pathirana, Tejasvi Singh, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Mustafizur Rahman, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra, Rachin Ravindra, and Akash Deep.

Players bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the IPL 2026 auction: Cameron Green, Finn Allen, Matheesha Pathirana, Tejasvi Singh, Kartik Tyagi, Prashant Solanki, Rahul Tripathi, Tim Seifert, Mustafizur Rahman, Sarthak Ranjan, Daksh Kamra, Rachin Ravindra, and Akash Deep.

Star Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, who joined Chennai Super Kings in a trade deal from Rajasthan Royals on Saturday, November 15, will not captain the Chennai-based franchise in IPL 2026. The five-time champions posted on X on Saturday evening, after the retentions were announced, to confirm that 28-year-old Indian batter Ruturaj Gaikwad will be the captain for the upcoming season.

But if we look at history, Sanju is not the only one. Two more players once captained the Rajasthan Royals and later played for the Yellow Army. This article shares all the details about this.

Also Read -Shubman Gill Ruled Out of 1st IND-SA Test After Suffering Neck Injury

Shane Watson: The First RR Captain to Play for CSK

Shane Watson was the first Rajasthan Royals captain to play for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. He joined the Chennai team in the IPL 2018 mega auction and played 43 matches for them from 2018 to 2020. In those 43 matches, Watson scored 1252 runs and took six wickets for CSK.

Watson was part of RR from 2008 to 2019. He played 78 matches for them, scored 2372 runs, and dismissed 61 batters. (Picture Credit: AFP)

He led RR in 21 IPL matches but managed to win only seven.

Ajinkya Rahane: Another RR Captain to Join CSK

Ajinkya Rahane captained the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2018 and 2019. Under his leadership, RR played 24 matches and won only nine.

Rahane played 100 IPL matches for RR and scored 2810 runs. He is the second-highest run-scorer in RR’s IPL history. He joined CSK in the IPL 2023 auction and played 27 matches across the 2023 and 2024 seasons. In those games, he scored a total of 568 runs.

The pile of emotions finally came out. After playing a classy 159-run knock against Chhattisgarh on a rain-affected day in a Ranji Trophy 2025 round two match, Ajinkya Rahane alleged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of 'no communication.'

Rahane can still feel the pain for not being selected for India’s Test tour to Australia in the 2024-25 season, where India performed poorly. During a recent interview, the experienced batter said that players like him who have passion for the red ball cricket deserve a chance to play for India. The 37-year-old believed that age is not a factor in performing in the highest order of cricket as long as a player himself can show the intent and passion for the game.

After the 159-run innings, Rahane said, "After 34-35 players are old. Players are always looking to do well. Players are always looking to give their best. And if someone is really passionate about playing red ball cricket. I think selectors should look into it. Because they come and watch the game. Every time it’s not about the performance. It’s about the intent and the passion and how you play with the red ball." 

Read More: WATCH: Forgotten fast bowler to make comeback for CSK ? Video gone viral ahead of IPL 2026 auction

It was one of Rahane's most disheartening moments in his cricket career when he came to know the selectors did not choose him for the BGT series. 

Ajinkya Rahane alleged BCCI for poor communication

"In Australia, you see, Michael Hussey made his debut in his 30s. Still, he made runs. Experience matters in red ball cricket. I thought, personally, the Indian team needed me in Australia," he said. 

Recently, another star of India, Mohammed Shami, also made some explosive remarks on BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar. After taking 7 wickets for Bengal in a Ranji Trophy match against Uttarakhand, the pacer stated, "Let him say whatever he wants. You have seen how I bowled. It is all in front of your eyes."