3 players who were lucky to be picked in India's squad for the T20 World Cup ft. Suryakumar Yadav

The BCCI recently announced India's 15-man squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup. The marquee ICC tournament will commence in the subcontinent on February 7.

India, as the defending champions of the T20 World Cup, will be under serious pressure to deliver in front of their home fans. Their bilateral T20I form has been excellent in recent months, and they are considered to be among the favorites for the title.

India’s squad for the T20 World Cup: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.

However, as was the case ahead of their victorious campaign in 2024, it's debatable whether all members of the squad merit their places. On that note, here are three players who were lucky to be picked in India's squad for the T20 World Cup.

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#3 Ishan Kishan

New Zealand v India T20I Media Opportunity - Source: Getty

It's a bit harsh to call Ishan Kishan lucky to be picked in India's squad for the T20 World Cup. He was in sensational form in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he led Jharkhand to the title while making extremely important contributions at the top of the order. Moreover, the left-hander's T20I form wasn't too bad before he was dropped from the side.

However, it must be said that Kishan clearly wasn't in the selectors' plans until very recently. Shubman Gill's poor form and the fact that the team management wanted a keeper at the top of the order were factors that tilted the scales in his favor at the very last minute.

Whether Kishan can make the step up to the top level and be successful against the world's best oppositions remain to be seen, given his obvious limitations against hard lengths and spin. While his inclusion was a touch fortunate, he must be appreciated for the manner in which he broke the door down.

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#2 Suryakumar Yadav

Cricket: Australia v India - 5th T20I - Source: Getty

It's wholly understandable that India wanted Suryakumar Yadav to be their captain at the T20 World Cup despite his recent poor form. The dynamic batter has been one of the team's most consistent batters over the years, even if his returns in 2025 have been hugely disappointing.

At the same time, however, it's safe to say that Suryakumar wouldn't have merited a spot in the playing XI had he not been the captain. The right-handed batter has an average well under 20 and a strike rate well under 120 in 2025. All of his favorite shots have stopped yielding returns, and he has had barely any knocks of substance to show for.

India will hope that the faith they've shown in Suryakumar - perhaps without any other choice - is justified at the marquee ICC event.

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#1 Rinku Singh

Cricket: Australia v India - 2nd T20I - Source: Getty

A player who has been in and out of the T20I side in recent times, Rinku Singh wasn't expected to feature in the squad for the T20 World Cup. However, the fact that India picked a second wicket-keeper in the form of Kishan and not Jitesh Sharma gave him the rub of the green.

Prior to being dropped from the T20I side, Rinku went through a sustained period of low scores. His issues against hard lengths and spin proved to be his downfall, and after a brilliant start to his career in the format, he was clearly on the wane.

Rinku can still add a decent amount of value to the team, but it can be confidently stated that he has not been picked on the basis of his recent showings for the Men in Blue.

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Edited by Sai Krishna