With several of India’s big guns deciding to bow out of the T20 format after their triumph in the T20 World Cup 2024, the Men in Blue are in the process of assembling a new-look playing XI for the 2026 edition.
In about 18 months, India and Sri Lanka will co-host the tenth edition of the T20 World Cup and will have the opportunity to be the first side to successfully defend their title.
But to do that, India will need a solid playing XI that will be ideally suited to the surfaces on offer. Here we look at the probable line-up of India in their 2026 T20 World Cup campaign.
Openers: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill
India have already started to build their team to the 2026 World Cup in mind. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who was the third opener in India’s victorious 2024 campaign will start in the team’s playing XI in 2026.
Though there is some stiff competition for the 2nd opener slot in the team, Shubman Gill at the moment seems to be the front-runner. They have been opening together post the Rohit-Virat era, and it looks like India sees them as a probable and potential long-term opening pair in the T20 format.
Other options include CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and youngster Abhishek Sharma.
Middle-Order: Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh
The defending champions operated with an attacking mindset throughout their campaign, and they are likely to continue with this approach for the foreseeable future. So this could be the middle-order for India at the time of the next World Cup.
Suryakumar Yadav, one of the leading T20 batters in the world, will retain his position and could be slated for the No. 3 slot. The newly appointed T20I skipper of India, SKY, will be followed by Sanju Samson.
Samson, who has been in the scheme of things for many years now, didn’t feature in the playing XI for India during their victorious 2024 campaign but could very well play a big role in 2026.
The crucial No. 5 slot could be filled by Rinku Singh, who has had a tremendous start to his T20I career for India. Travelled as a reserve player with India in the 2024 edition, the left-hander will likely have a bigger role to play as he gets more matches into his kitty before the 2026 T20 World Cup.
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All-Rounders: Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar
Hardik Pandya, the team’s vice-captain in the 2024 T20 World Cup, surprisingly wasn’t considered for the leadership role. Nevertheless, he will seemingly have a greater role to play in the 2026 World Cup.
He will likely be accompanied by two spin-bowling all-rounders, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, and the duo will not only bolster the bowling but also extend their batting line-up long enough.
Sundar is getting game time in the format post the retirement of Ravindra Jadeja and may be a regular in the playing XI going forward, especially with the fact that the World Cup is to be played at home.
Axar, who excelled in all departments in the 2024 World Cup, will be an indispensable part of the line-up, making the all-rounder a sure-shot certainty to start in the XI.
Bowlers: Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh
Kuldeep Yadav played an integral role for India in the Caribbean leg of the World Cup and could be the lead spinner for the team in the next tourney as well. He will surely enjoy the conditions on offer in both India and Sri Lanka, thus making him a definite starter.
Undoubtedly, India’s pace duo of Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh were key difference-makers for the team, especially in the final game against South Africa.
The co-hosts of the 2026 edition will ideally want them to lead their pace attack and successfully help them defend the title.
Probable Playing XI for India in the 2026 T20 World Cup: Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (Wk), Suryakumar Yadav (Capt), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh
