India are expected to announce their squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup on Saturday (December 20), less than 24 hours after wrapping up their international calendar for 2025 with the fifth T20I against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday.

India will face New Zealand in a five-match T20I series prior to the showpiece event, but indications suggest continuity in selection, with one squad set to serve both assignments. The New Zealand series is from the 21st January t to the 31st January, leading upto the global tournament, hosted by India and Sri Lanka, which kicks off on February 7 and concludes with the final on March 8.

India have been in commanding form in T20Is since winning the 2024 World Cup. Under Suryakumar Yadav’s leadership, following the exit of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, results have flowed freely. Since July 2024, they have claimed 30 victories from 34 matches, with two defeats coming in Super Over, while rain washed out two fixtures in Australia.

With momentum firmly on their side, the selectors are expected to back continuity. Despite scrutiny over Shubman Gill’s Asia Cup recall and modest returns — 291 runs from 15 games without a fifty — omitting the vice-captain would be an unexpected call.

Despite a difficult year with the bat, India are likely to continue with Suryakumar Yadav as captain. He hasn’t crossed fifty in 2025 and has scored 213 runs in 20 matches, averaging 14.20.

Abhishek Sharma is expected to open alongside Gill, which ends Yashasvi Jaiswal’s chances. Sanju Samson should be the standby opener and one of the two keeper-batters along with with Jitesh Sharma. Samson, despite three hundreds in 2024, was shuffled down the order and later left out of the XI. Even so, neither has done enough to warrant being axed. Ishan Kishan, though, has pushed his case with a record-breaking run in Jharkhand’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title run.

Tilak Varma is expected to stay, while Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar should also make the cut as India continue to prioritise multi-skilled options. Rinku Singh, omitted for the South Africa T20Is and limited to just two appearances since the Asia Cup, looks set to miss a second World Cup in a row. With him likely out, Hardik remains India’s only established late-overs pace-hitter.

India’s bowling core looks settled, with Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy assured of selection given their display in the format. The last vacancy is likely to be filled by Harshit Rana, who has impressed consistently and enjoys strong backing from the management under head coach Gautam Gambhir.

India T20 WC 2026 Probable Squad

Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Varma, Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK) Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana