Rinku Singh (Photo Source: BCCI)

The upcoming edition of the T20 World Cup will commence on February 7 and conclude on March 9. 20 teams will be fighting it out to win the coveted prize. India are the current holders and one of the strongest contenders to lift the title. Other teams like Australia, England, and South Africa are also among the favourites to go the distance.

Most of the teams have announced their provisional squads for the marquee event.

In this article, let's take a look at three players who missed the previous edition in 2024 but are set to feature in the global extravaganza in 2026.

3 Players who missed 2024 T20 World Cup but will play in 2026: 3. Ishan Kishan Ishan Kishan. (Photo source: BCCI)

Ishan Kishan made a comeback into the Indian team during the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. His last appearance for the Men in Blue before this came way back in 2023.

The left-handed wicketkeeper-batter's maiden appearance in the T20 World Cup was in 2021 in the United Arab Emirates.

Kishan was picked as the backup wicketkeeper for Sanju Samson. However, he is getting playing opportunities during the series against New Zealand due to Tilak Varma's injury. The Jharkhand captain has looked impressive so far, while Samson has struggled for runs. If the trend continues during the series, there is a good chance that Kishan will open the batting with his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammate Abhishek Sharma once Tilak returns to the side.

2. Rinku Singh

Rinku Singh was considered by many as the most unfortunate cricketer after missing out on selection to the Indian team for the 2024 T20 World Cup. The southpaw had a phenomenal start to his international career, scoring runs for fun against some of the best bowling sides in world cricket. However, it was not enough for him to get a spot in India's squad.

Then captain Rohit Sharma told Rinku that he was not picked due to the team composition. The diminutive batter, however, kept grinding hard in domestic cricket and the sporadic chances he got at the international level.

The hard work paid dividends as Rinku was picked in India's provisional squad for the World Cup.

1. Varun Chakaravarthy Varun Chakravarthy (Source: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Varun Chakaravarthy has been in scintillating form since returning to international cricket after a three-year hiatus in 2024. The mystery spinner played in the 2021 T20 World Cup but failed to make much of an impact. He had to wait for three years before returning to the international circuit.

However, since his comeback, no other Indian bowler has taken more wickets in T20Is than him. Chakaravarthy has bamboozled some of the finest batters in world cricket. Alongside bowling googlies, which was always his strength, Chakaravarthy has improved his leg-spin, causing batters all sorts of problems. He is expected to play a key role for India in the upcoming T20 World Cup.