Overview:
India’s bowling combination is likely to revolve around Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, while the spin unit will be marshalled by world No. 1 T20I spinner Varun Chakaravarthy.
India will kick off their World Cup defence in Mumbai on February 7. The Men in Blue will start their 2026 T20 World Cup campaign against the United States at the Wankhede Stadium. A flawless title-winning run carried India to T20 World Cup glory in 2024 under Rohit Sharma, and Suryakumar Yadav, now aims to mirror that perfect run in the 2026 edition.
Abhishek Sharma, the top-ranked T20I batter, is set for his maiden ICC appearance with India’s senior side, partnering Ishan Kishan at the top. Kishan’s current form has given him the edge, placing him ahead of Sanju Samson.
Despite being named the frontline keeper-batter for the 2026 T20 World Cup squad last December, Sanju Samson struggled to perform during the New Zealand T20I series. Ishan, meanwhile, delivered a timely impact with a blistering 76 in the second match, followed by a rapid hundred in the final encounter.
He continued his impressive run with a magnificent effort in the warm-up encounter versus South Africa. He surged to 53 from just 20 balls in Navi Mumbai.
After missing the five-match T20I series against New Zealand due to injury, Tilak Varma showed his readiness in the two warm-up matches. He is now set to bat at the No. 3 position, with Suryakumar Yadav, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Pandya, following him in the batting line-up.
India’s bowling combination is likely to revolve around Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, while the spin unit will be marshalled by world No. 1 T20I spinner Varun Chakaravarthy.
India’s probable playing XI for the T20 World Cup 2026 match against the USA: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Ishan Kishan (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy