With the Asia Cup wrapped up, Team India will begin their last leg of preparations for the T20 World Cup 2026. In this last leg, the five-match IND vs AUS T20I series is up next. As Hardik Pandya misses out, it is an opportunity for coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav to prepare a backup in either Nitish Kumar Reddy or Shivam Dube. The last 15 matches are also crucial for India to zero in on a wicketkeeper-batter. While Gambhir kept faith in Sanju Samson in the Asia Cup, his performance wasn’t really optimistic in a new role.
While there will be no consensus on which specialist spinner should play, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy will fight for a spot in IND vs AUS T20I series. Both might end up playing in the T20 World Cup if conditions permit. Among the all-rounders, Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel have sealed their spots. But there could be room for one more. Washington Sundar might end up fighting for a spot with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shivam Dube. In seam conditions, Reddy or Dube could get the vote and on dry pitches, Sundar could be the right fit.
Who are confirmed for T20 World Cup?
Batters
- Abhishek Sharma
- Shubman Gill
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Tilak Varma
- Rinku Singh
If the Asia Cup was any hint, Abhishek Sharma is here to stay, at least in the T20 format. He is guaranteed the opening spot along with vice captain Shubman Gill with captain Suryakumar Yadav at No 3. Tilak Varma has also cemented his place, thanks to his string of match-winning performances, including the Asia Cup final.
Rinku Singh, who established himself as the finisher, has fallen out of favour. But he is not out of the race yet. He played the Asia Cup final and scored the winning runs. While his performances of late, including IPL 2025, have not been inspiring, he is still all but confirmed to be in India squad for T20 World Cup.
Seam-bowling all-rounder
- Hardik Pandya
While many have tried to be the next Hardik Pandya, there is none in India at the moment. Hardik is the only player of his calibre. He can bowl at 140 clicks to become Jasprit Bumrah’s partner. And he can bat from No 3 to No 8, at any position. No one else in India can do that, and only a few can play that role in world cricket.
Spin-bowling all-rounder
- Axar Patel
Axar Patel has done his best to cement the role. He can bat at No 5 and bowl in the powerplay. While wickets have been hard to come by, Axar has stepped up with the bat.
Spinners
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Arshdeep Singh
Among spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy are a must in India. Whether both play or one of them does, they will be in the India squad for T20 World Cup 2026. With Axar, Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma adding to spin support, India have the best spin attack at the moment.
Pace bowlers
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Arshdeep Singh
India can’t win a World Cup without Jasprit Bumrah. The hero of India’s T20 World Cup triumph, Bumrah, makes the squad and the Playing XI. But who will be his partner? While Hardik Pandya has done the job in Dubai in the Asia Cup, India will look at World No 1 T20 bowler Arshdeep Singh. Whether he makes the Playing XI every time will depend on what surface India play on.
Players in the fray for T20 World Cup
| Confirmed | Most Likely | Outside chance | No chance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suryakumar Yadav | Sanju Samson (WK) | Shreyas Iyer | Yuzvendra Chahal |
| Jasprit Bumrah | Jitesh Sharma (WK) | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Mohd Shami |
| Arshdeep Singh | Washington Sundar | Mohd Siraj | Ruturaj Gaikwad |
| Shubman Gill | Rinku Singh | Sai Sudharsan | Avesh Khan |
| Abhishek Sharma | Nitish Kumar Reddy | Rishabh Pant (WK) | Ravi Bishnoi |
| Tilak Varma | Prasidh Krishna | Dhruv Jurel (WK) | KL Rahul (WK) |
| Hardik Pandya | Harshit Rana | Riyan Parag | Sai Kishore |
| Axar Patel | Shivam Dube | ||
| Kuldeep Yadav | |||
| Varun Chakaravarthy |
Spots up for grabs in T20 World Cup squad
Wicketkeepers
- Sanju Samson
- Jitesh Sharma
Just a year ago, it seemed Sanju Samson cemented his place as India’s T20 keeper. But with Shubman Gill making a forced entry as the vice-captain, Samson had to move down the order, where he is not very comfortable. Despite scoring a half-century in Asia Cup, Samson’s performance wasn’t very inspiring. Instead, he left the door open for someone else to take the spot in India Playing XI. Who is that person?
India need a wicketkeeper-batter who can bat down the order at No 6 or 7. Two players fit the bill, which Samson doesn’t. Jitesh Sharma and Rishabh Pant can both bat at No 6 or below. While Pant’s record at No 6 and below has been horrendous, Jitesh has played the role to perfection. Jitesh has a strike rate of 169.81, batting at No 6 or below, making him the perfect fit in India’s T20I side. As Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav continue to give Samson chances, it could soon end for him if he fails to fire in the IND vs AUS T20I series. Team India will soon turn to Jitesh Sharma if the experimentation to play Samson at No 6 yields no result.
All-rounder
- Washington Sundar
- Shivam Dube
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
While Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel are permanent in the Playing XI, Gambhir has often rotated the other slot depending on conditions. Shivam Dube gets the advantage because he is a left-hander and can bat at No 4 and also No 6. His ability to play spin is better than his competition. Nitish Kumar Reddy is a late entrant due to his absence because of injuries. While he will get a chance in the IND vs AUS T20I series in Hardik’s absence, he will need some extraordinary performances to be in India squad for T20 World Cup.
Washington Sundar will mostly play the backup role even in Indian conditions, with Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav slated to start. The five T20Is against Australia could be his opportunity to shine.
Pacers
- Harshit Rana
- Prasidh Krishna
- Mohammed Siraj
Even though two spots are sealed in the T20 World Cup, there could be room for two more. Harshit Rana, with his ability to bat, could be ahead of the race. With no Prasidh Krishna and Mohd Siraj in the T20I scheme of things, Gautam Gambhir has certainly made up his mind about not trying out the two pacers in T20Is for now.
In addition to them, late injuries could change things up. Yashasvi Jaiswal will be the backup opener if there is any injury to either Shubman Gill or Abhishek Sharma. Riyan Parag will be the backup if Tilak Varma has an injury. Sai Sudharsan could also play the role of a backup opener but he is behind Jaiswal in the race. Similarly, Siraj will be the backup if there is any injury to Jasprit Bumrah.
India’s remaining T20Is
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29/10/2025 | Australia | Canberra | 13:45 |
| 31/10/2025 | Australia | Melbourne | 13:45 |
| 02/11/2025 | Australia | Hobart | 13:45 |
| 06/11/2025 | Australia | Gold Coast | 13:45 |
| 08/11/2025 | Australia | Brisbane | 13:45 |
| 09/12/2025 | South Africa | Cuttack | 19:00 |
| 11/12/2025 | South Africa | Mullanpur | 19:00 |
| 14/12/2025 | South Africa | Dharamsala | 19:00 |
| 17/12/2025 | South Africa | Lucknow | 19:00 |
| 19/12/2025 | South Africa | Ahmedabad | 19:00 |
| 21/01/2026 | New Zealand | Nagpur | 19:00 |
| 23/01/2026 | New Zealand | Raipur | 19:00 |
| 25/01/2026 | New Zealand | Guwahati | 19:00 |
| 28/01/2026 | New Zealand | Vishakhapatnam | 19:00 |
| 31/01/2026 | New Zealand | Thiruvananthapuram | 19:00 |
India squad for Australia T20Is
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (VC), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.
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