With India set to name their T20 World Cup 2026 squad on Saturday in Mumbai, the spotlight has firmly shifted to Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav, whose recent struggles have turned the selection meeting into a high-stakes call.
The squad will be announced by Ajit Agarkar, chairman of the senior men’s selection committee, who will also address the media a day after India conclude their ongoing T20I series against South Africa in Ahmedabad.
Although India still have five T20 internationals remaining before the global showpiece -- scheduled from February 7 to March 8 -- those fixtures fall after the ICC’s initial squad submission deadline, making Saturday’s announcement the likely core group for the tournament.
Shubman Gill in T20 Internationals since 2024:
| Year | Match | Runs | Highest Score | Average | S/R | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8 | 266 | 66 | 38.00 | 133.00 | 0 | 2 |
| 2025 | 15 | 291 | 47 | 24.26 | 137.26 | 0 | 0 |
Gill, who returned to the T20 setup following an impressive stint as Test captain in England, has struggled to cement his place at the top of the order. Despite Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma providing strong starts, the team management persisted with Gill as a T20 opener, backing his ability to play the anchor’s role that Virat Kohli once performed.
However, India’s batting blueprint has shifted markedly since their T20 World Cup triumph in Barbados. With depth stretching to No. 8, the side has doubled down on an aggressive, high-tempo approach, leaving limited room for a traditional anchor. Gill’s challenge has been to adapt -- finding a method that balances intent with stability in a lineup built to attack from ball one.
Suryakumar Yadav in T20 Internationals since 2024:
| Year | Match | Runs | Highest Score | Average | S/R | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 18 | 429 | 75 | 26.81 | 151.59 | 0 | 4 |
| 2025 | 20 | 213 | 47 not out | 14.20 | 125.29 | 0 | 0 |
Suryakumar, meanwhile, enters the selection meeting facing questions of his own. The India captain has endured an uneven run over the past 12 months, and with the added responsibility of leading India’s World Cup defence at home, consistency from his bat is increasingly critical.
As Agarkar prepares to unveil the squad, the calls around Gill and Suryakumar are likely to define not just Saturday’s announcement, but India’s tactical direction heading into the T20 World Cup.
© 2025