5 players in India's 2026 T20 World Cup squad who also played in 2021 ft. Ishan Kishan

The Indian squad for the ICC Men's 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be played in February-March, was announced by the BCCI recently. The 15-member squad will be led by Suryakumar Yadav, who has been struggling with the bat, but has an impressive record as captain in T20Is.

There have been two significant decisions taken with regard to the Men in Blue's 2026 T20 World Cup squad. Opener Shubman Gill, who was vice-captain of the team that took on South Africa recently, has been dropped, while Ishan Kishan has been recalled. The latter had a brilliant Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign. Also, keeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has been dropped in favor of finisher Rinku Singh.

Interestingly, a few players from Team India's 2021 T20 World Cup campaign in the UAE are also part of the 2026 edition. Take a look.

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#1 Ishan Kishan

Fans might find it difficult to recall that Kishan was part of Team India's 2021 T20 World Cup squad. The keeper-batter played only one match during India's disastrous campaign in the UAE. He was dismissed for four in the crucial match against New Zealand in Dubai. Opening the innings, Kishan was caught at deep square leg off Trent Boult's bowling.

The left-handed batter finished as the leading run-getter in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26. In 10 innings, he scored 517 runs at an average of 57.44 and a strike rate of 197.32, with two hundreds and two fifties. One of his tons came in the final. Kishan will be keen to make a big impact if he gets a chance in the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka.

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#2 Suryakumar Yadav

Current captain Suryakumar was relatively new to the international scene when he featured in his first T20 World Cup in 2021. The Mumbai Indians (MI) batter had made an impressive T20I debut just a few months earlier.

Suryakumar played four matches during India's 2021 T20 World Cup campaign. In three innings, he scored 42 runs at a strike rate of 144.82. The right-handed batter was out for 11 against Pakistan. He was unbeaten on six against Scotland and remained not out on 25 against Namibia.

Suryakumar has been in poor form over the last year, which is a concern heading into the 2026 T20 World Cup. In 2025, he scored 218 runs in 19 innings at an average of 13.62 and a strike rate of 123.16.

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#3 Hardik Pandya

Seasoned all-rounder Hardik Pandya also featured in Team India's 2021 T20 World Cup campaign in the UAE. Pandya played five matches and, in three innings, scored 69 runs at a strike rate of 153.33. He scored an unbeaten 35 off just 13 balls against Afghanistan and 23 off 24 against New Zealand. Pandya bowled only two overs in the tournament due to fitness issues.

Pandya was a key member of the Indian side that won the 2024 T20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies. He has been in impressive form of late and will be crucial to the team's chances in the upcoming edition as well.

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#4 Jasprit Bumrah

Team India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah played five matches in the 2021 T20 World Cup, claiming seven wickets at an average of 13.57 and an economy rate of 5.08. He registered figures of 2-19 against New Zealand and Namibia and picked up two wickets for 10 runs against Scotland as well.

Bumrah was the Player of the Tournament in India's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. The right-arm pacer picked up 15 wickets in eight matches at an average of 8.26 and an economy rate of 4.17, with a best of 3-7. Bumrah has maintained his impressive form and will be one of the team's trump cards in next year's event too.

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#5 Varun Chakaravarthy

Varun Chakaravarthy had a forgettable 2021 T20 World Cup campaign. The leg spinner played three matches and went wicketless, conceding 71 runs in 11 overs at an economy rate of 6.45. The Tamil Nadu cricketer was dropped following his poor performance in the ICC event.

Chakaravarthy made a comeback to the T20I side last year on the back of some excellent IPL performances and hasn't looked back since. He was the Player of the Series against South Africa recently. In four matches, he took 10 wickets at an average of 11.20 and an economy rate of 7.46.

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Edited by Renin Wilben Albert