Why wasn’t Andre Russell named in the West Indies squad for T20 World Cup 2026? Revealed

Andre Russell’s absence from West Indies squad for T20 World Cup 2026 caught many by surprise.

The West Indies Cricket Team announced their squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2026 on Monday (January 26). The two-time champions have named a strong squad for the campaign, comprising explosive batters, multiple all-rounders, and pace-bowling resources.

Shai Hope will captain West Indies in T20 World Cup 2026, making a comeback to the squad after missing the recent T20I series against Afghanistan. Shimron Hetmyer, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Rovman Powell, and Brandon King will be key members in the batting department.

Gudakesh Motie, Jayden Seales, and Romario Shepherd will be holding key in bowling. Jason Holder is the most experienced all-rounder in the West Indies’ squad, who have multiple players with excellence in both batting and bowling.

However, one crucial all-rounder that missed from their squad is Andre Russell. Many fans are surprised by Russell’s absence from West Indies’ squad for the crucial ICC tournament. He was part of the team that won the T20 World Cups in 2012 and 2016.

Why is Andre Russell missing from West Indies squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2026?

Notably, Russell is not part of the West Indies squad for the multi-national tournament as he has retired from international cricket. The West Indies legend announced his retirement last year in July after the T20I series against Australia.

The Jamaican all-rounder featured in the first two games of the five-match series in Kingston before hanging up his boots from the national team. Russell, considered among the deadliest all-rounders in the shortest format, played 86 T20Is in his career.

Smacking 1122 runs at a strike rate of 163+ and picking 61 wickets at an economy of 9.42, he represented West Indies in T20Is for 14 years. However, he is active in franchise cricket and recently played for Pretoria Capitals in SA20 2025-26.

Meanwhile, West Indies’ are placed in Group C in the tournament alongside Italy, Nepal, Scotland, and England.

West Indies squad for T20 World Cup 2026

Shai Hope (C), Shimron Hetmyer, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd.

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