Dropped Indian XI for ICC T20 World Cup 2026 ft. Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal

Here is the best Indian XI that were not picked for ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

The Indian Cricket Team have announced their squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2026, becoming the first nation to name their combination for the multi-national tournament. Suryakumar Yadav will captain the Men in Blue in the ICC tournament, which will take place in February and March next year.

India, who are co-hosts of the T20 World Cup 2026 alongside Sri Lanka, are defending champions of the tournament. In the previous edition in 2024, they outplayed South Africa in the final to grab the trophy.

They have named a powerful squad, which comprises an incredible set of batters and bowlers. However, a few deserving players could not find a place in the squad due to stiff competition for spots. On that note, below are dropped Indian XI for ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

Dropped Indian XI for ICC T20 World Cup 2026

Yashasvi Jaiswal

Yashasvi Jaiswal has been a commendable opening batter for India in the last few years. He was also part of the India squad that won the previous edition of the tournament in 2024. Although he continues to be a reliable opener in the test format, he has struggled to cement that spot in the T20I team.

Shubman Gill

Ahead of the Asia Cup 2025, Shubman Gill made a comeback to T20Is and was named as the new vice-captain of the side. However, he faced a lot of criticism due to his struggles with the bat in the recent T20I series against South Africa. In IPL 2025, the right-handed batsman finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer and impressed with his performance. However, he failed to replicate that form in T20Is this year.

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant played a massive part in India’s win in the last edition of the T20 World Cup. He batted at three in that tournament and played some important hands. However, after that, he hasn’t been a regular member in the Indian white-ball setup. He also hammered a blistering century in the fag end of IPL 2025.

Shreyas Iyer (C)

Ever since Shreyas Iyer drove Punjab Kings (PBKS) to the IPL 2025 final, fans and experts have backed his return to the T20I side. However, the selectors have maintained that they cannot settle Iyer in the current squad due to huge competition. In IPL 2025, the PBKS captain rocked with the bat, smacking 604 runs in 17 games at an average of 50.33.

Riyan Parag

Although Riyan Parag did not play any T20Is for India in 2025, he had a decent outing in six games last year. Across nine matches, he piled up 106 runs at a strike rate of over 151. With the ball, he picked four wickets. Playing for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2025, he played some brilliant knocks, showing his might with the bat.

Jitesh Sharma (WK)

Jitesh Sharma is a surprising name that was absent from India’s squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The right-handed batsman featured in seven T20I games in 2025, scoring 62 runs in five innings at a wonderful strike rate of 158.97. He was also part of the recent T20I series against the Proteas, where he impressed with his wicket-keeping abilities.

Nitish Kumar Reddy

Nitish Kumar Reddy is one of the crucial all-rounders for India and has played across all three formats. Last year, he played three T20I games and scored 90 runs, including one half-century and picked three wickets. Earlier this year, he featured in a T20I game against England, where he did not get an opportunity to bowl and bat.

Krunal Pandya

Although Krunal Pandya played his last T20I match in 2021, he has been a brilliant performer in IPL over the years in IPL. In IPL 2025, the spin all-rounder impressed with his performance for champions RCB, clinching 17 wickets at an economy of 8.24. He also played a match-winning knock of an unbeaten 73 runs in one game.

Ravi Bishnoi

Ravi Bishnoi has gained success in the shortest format after making his debut in 2022. So far, he has played 42 T20I games for India, with his last appearance against England earlier this year. However, with Kuldeep Yadav impressing with his performance in the Asia Cup 2025, Bishnoi has found it challenging to make a comeback in the T20I side.

Prasidh Krishna

Prasidh Krishna is another player who deserved to be picked in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squad, but lost out on selection. Winning the Purple Cap in IPL 2025 with 25 wickets for the Gujarat Titans (GT), Krishna was a stand-out performer in the tournament.

Mohammed Siraj

Mohammed Siraj has been a regular member of the side in tests and ODIs, however, has been overlooked in T20Is for quite some time. The right-arm pacer has showcased a wonderful form this year, bagging appreciations with his performances in test campaigns against England and West Indies. Siraj is an experienced pacer in Indian conditions, and his presence in ICC T20 World Cup 2026 would’ve benefited the Men in Blue.

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