India recently revealed their 15-member squad for the World Cup T20 2026 which is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 onwards. Team India is carrying the hopes to defend its title in the T20 World Cup title it won in 2024. The selection comprises a mix of young players and also seasoned names, with even a few significant surprises. Shubman Gill Not Included in the Squad The biggest talking point is the exclusion of T20 vice-captain Shubman Gill. The selectors have instead given the vice-captain role to Axar Patel, who will assist captain Suryakumar Yadav. Gill had been part of the leadership group but could not find a place in the final 15 for the World Cup. India have gone back to the plan of using a wicketkeeper as an opener. Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are likely to fight for the opening slot along with Abhishek Sharma. This could be a key move as India aim for strong starts in the powerplay overs. Also Read | Records Broken by Indian Batters in the 5th T20I vs South Africa Squad Announced 49 Days Before Tournament The BCCI announced the squad on December 20, which is 49 days before the start of the tournament. As per ICC rules, teams must name an initial squad at least one month before the first match. India could have announced the squad by January 7 but chose to get it out sooner. The same squad will also feature in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand at home starting on January 21. This should get the players some match practice together before the big event. Can India Still Make Changes to the Squad? Yes, India can still make changes. ICC rules say that teams must submit their final squad at least one week before the start of the tournament. Hence, till January 31, India can still make any changes. After that date, only injury to a player will allow any adjustments and those must be approved by the ICC. This gives India time to look at players' form, fitness, and performance before locking the final list. India Squad for T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vc), Ishan Kishan (wk), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar