5 players in India's 2026 T20 World Cup squad who didn't play in 2024 ft. Varun Chakaravarthy

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a 15-member India squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup on Saturday, December 20. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the defending champions, while Axar Patel will be his deputy. Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma have been dropped from the ICC event.

Ishan Kishan, who recently led Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), has been picked in the squad. He joins the team as a backup wicketkeeper for Sanju Samson. The same side will play a five-match T20I series against New Zealand before the T20 tournament.

The Men in Blue are placed in group A alongside Pakistan, the USA, Namibia, and the Netherlands. They will begin their T20 World Cup defence against the USA at Wankhede Stadium on February 7. The two-time champions will face arch-rivals Pakistan in their third group-stage game in Colombo on February 15.

Here are 5 Indian players who didn't play the 2024 T20 World Cup:

Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan. Source: Getty

Ishan KIshan has been picked in the squad following his century in the 2025 SMAT final against Haryana. The left-handed batter finished the tournament as the leading run-getter, amassing 517 runs at a strike rate of 197.32, including two centuries and as many fifties. Interestingly, the 27-year-old hasn't played a T20I since November 2023.

Kishan has also 2997 runs in 119 IPL games, comprising one ton and 17 half-centuries. Overall, he has amassed 5787 runs in 216 matches, including six tons and 31 half-centuries.

Tilak Varma

Tilak Varma. Source: Getty

Tilak Varma has emerged as India’s premier No. 3 option ahead of the T20 World Cup. The left-handed batter amassed 187 runs at an average of 62.33, including two half-centuries against South Africa as India won the series 3-1. Since the 2024 T20 World Cup, Varma has amassed 847 runs in 24 innings with the help of two tons and four half-centuries. Notably, Virat Kohli played at No. 3 in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Apart from T20Is, Tilak has 1499 runs in 54 games in the IPL at a strike rate of 144.41, comprising eight half-centuries. Overall, the 23-year-old has amassed 4092 runs in 134 T20s, hitting four tons and 24 half-centuries.

Abhishek Sharma

Abhishek Sharma. Source: Getty

World No.1-ranked T20I batter Abhishek Sharma has been India’s best opener in the last two years. The southpaw has amassed 1,115 runs in 33 matches at a strike rate of 188.03, including two centuries and six fifties. He is expected to perform the same role at the 2026 T20 World Cup as Rohit Sharma did in the 2024 edition of the tournament.

Abhishek has been equally impressive in the IPL over the last few years, amassing 1816 runs in 77 games at a strike rate of 163.01, hitting one ton and nine half-centuries. The 25-year-old has 4918 runs in 168 T20s, including eight centuries and 28 fifties.

Varun Chakaravarthy

Varun Chakaravarthy. Source: Getty

World No.1-ranked bowler Varun Chakaravarthy has been India’s lead spinner following the 2024 T20 World Cup. The leg-spinner has picked up 53 wickets in 27 T20Is after the last ICC event. The 34-year-old bagged 10 wickets in four matches as India beat South Africa in the T20I series.

Overall, Varun has picked up 179 wickets in 138 T20s at an economy rate of 7.43, including 100 scalps in the IPL. He will look to complete redemption, having returned wicketless in three games at the 2021 T20 World Cup, when India were knocked out in the group stage of the ICC event.

Washington Sundar

Washington Sunday. Source: Getty

Washington Sundar will be one of the key all-rounders for India at the 2026 T20 World Cup. The off-spinner has picked up 17 wickets in 15 matches after the 2024 edition of the T20 event. With the bat, the 26-year-old amassed 147 runs in nine innings.

Overall, Sundar has bagged 118 wickets in 159 T20Is at an economy rate of 7.04. With the bat, he has amassed 1489 runs in 101 innings, including three half-centuries.

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Edited by James Kuanal