MUMBAI : The squad was finalised after a selection meeting in Mumbai attended by chief selector Ajit Agarkar and India captain Suryakumar Yadav. The official press conference was slightly delayed due to the captain’s late arrival at the BCCI headquarters, but the announcement quickly drew attention for its bold decisions.

Selectors were understood to be concerned about Shubman Gill’s recent form in the shortest format, leading to his exclusion from the World Cup squad and a rethink on the vice-captaincy role. Axar Patel has been named deputy to Suryakumar Yadav, underlining the team management’s emphasis on all-round balance.

The final 15-member squad sees a mix of experience and emerging firepower. India will be led by Suryakumar Yadav, with Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh completing the lineup.

A notable inclusion is wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, who forced his way back into contention with a sensational performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Kishan smashed a blistering 49-ball 101, including 10 sixes, to help Jharkhand post 262 for 3 and secure their maiden title with a 69-run win over Haryana in Pune.

The same squad will also feature in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, sponsored by IDFC First Bank, scheduled to be played in January, giving India an immediate opportunity to test combinations ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

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