Suryakumar Yadav will captain India at next year’s T20 World Cup but, in a small surprise, Shubman Gill has been left at home. The selectors, who met in Mumbai on Saturday, opted to bring back finisher Rinku Singh and wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, leaving no space for either Gill or Jitesh Sharma. All-rounder Axar Patel has been promoted to vice-captain.
That same 15 will tackle New Zealand in a five-match series immediately before the tournament, giving the group a handy stretch of cricket together. India, remember, are defending champions after edging South Africa in Barbados two summers ago.
Squad
Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vc), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (wk).
So, why no Gill? Form is one angle; his strike-rate dipped below 130 in the last IPL and there were murmurs over intent during the powerplay. Kishan, meanwhile, offers explosive starts and a second keeping option, which matters on slow Caribbean pitches. “We felt the balance worked better this way,” one selector said quietly after the meeting.
Leaving out Jitesh was tougher. The Punjab gloveman brings late-innings muscle but Rinku’s finishing record — 174.4 strike-rate at the death since 2024 — proved decisive.
Axar’s elevation reflects the coaches’ fondness for his calm and his match-ups to right-handers. Three spinners plus Washington’s off-spin cover most bases. The pace unit, led by Jasprit Bumrah, mixes experience with Harshit Rana’s bounce — a nod to St Lucia’s taller decks.
There may still be tweaks; injury standby lists were kept under wraps. For now, though, the message is clear: defending the title matters, but India are prepared to reshuffle even big names to do it.
