Team India finished 2025 with a superb 3-1 win over South Africa in the five-match T20I series. But the headline act is about to come. The next year starts with five more T20Is against New Zealand, followed by the all-important Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. The BCCI, on Saturday, named India’s same squad for the two series, with Suryakumar Yadav as the captain. The biggest shocker came as the management excluded Shubman Gill, with Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh finding spots.
Right after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup, the T20 carnival will continue in the form of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Just recently, the IPL 2026 mini auction took place on December 16. While the T20 World Cup 2026 final is on March 8, the IPL 2026 will be played from March 26 to May 31. Expectedly, all the Indian T20 stars were retained by their teams for IPL 2026. On that note, let us take a look at the Indian players selected for the T20 World Cup 2026 and their respective IPL salaries.
India T20 World Cup players’ IPL salaries
| Player | IPL 2026 Team | IPL 2026 salary |
|---|---|---|
| Suryakumar Yadav (c) | Mumbai Indians | Rs 16.35 crore |
| Axar Patel (vc) | Delhi Capitals | Rs 16.50 crore |
| Sanju Samson (wk) | Chennai Super Kings | Rs 18 crore |
| Abhishek Sharma | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Rs 14 crore |
| Tilak Varma | Mumbai Indians | Rs 8 crore |
| Hardik Pandya | Mumbai Indians | Rs 16.35 crore |
| Ishan Kishan (wk) | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Rs 11.25 crore |
| Shivam Dube | Chennai Super Kings | Rs 12 crore |
| Washington Sundar | Gujarat Titans | Rs 3.20 crore |
| Harshit Rana | Kolkata Knight Riders | Rs 4 crore |
| Jasprit Bumrah | Mumbai Indians | Rs 18 crore |
| Varun Chakaravarthy | Kolkata Knight Riders | Rs 12 crore |
| Kuldeep Yadav | Delhi Capitals | Rs 13.25 crore |
| Arshdeep Singh | Punjab Kings | Rs 18 crore |
| Rinku Singh | Kolkata Knight Riders | Rs 13 crore |
Expectedly, 12 of the 15 players selected for the home T20 World Cup earn in nine-figure salaries. Only three players, namely, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana and Tilak Varma, have IPL 2026 contracts below Rs 10 crore. Harshit Rana, interestingly, was signed under the uncapped rule, as he didn’t represent India before the IPL 2025 retention deadline. Meanwhile, Tilak was retained by the Mumbai Indians (MI), while Sundar’s stocks in the IPL have never been high despite the great value he provides.
Sanju Samson, who will open alongside Abhishek Sharma at the World Cup, earns the joint-most in the list at Rs 18 crore. Jasprit Bumrah, the world’s best pacer, pockets Rs 18 crore as well. Meanwhile, captain Suryakumar Yadav and former skipper Hardik Pandya earn Rs 16.35 crore each. With that, Mumbai Indians have the most representations with 4, while RCB have none.
Interestingly, the player with the highest-ever IPL salary at Rs 27 crore, Rishabh Pant, isn’t part of the team. Nor is Shreyas Iyer (Rs 26.75 crore).
India squad at Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel (vc), Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Rinku Singh
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