Gill Excluding 2026 T20 World Cup India Squad Announced

India have announced their squad for the New Zealand T20 series and the 2026 T20 World Cup on December 20, leaving out Test and ODI captain and T20 vice-captain Shubman Gill. Wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan has been named in Gill’s 15-man squad. Ishan Kishan, who scored 517 runs in the domestic T20 tournament Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, has been named as the selectors’ choice. In Gill’s absence, all-rounder Axar Patel has been named as the vice-captain.

India T20 Squad

India T20 squad announcement on December 20, 2025, for the 5 T20 matches against New Zealand and the 2026 T20 World Cup:

• Suryakumar Yadav (Captain)
• Axar Patel (Vice-Captain)
• Abhishek Sharma
• Tilak Varma
• Rinku Singh
• Sanju Samson (Wicket keeper)
• Ishan Kishan (Wicket keeper)
• Hardik Pandya
• Shivam Dube
• Washington Sundar
• Jasprit Bumrah
• Arshdeep Singh
• Harshit Rana
• Kuldeep Yadav
• Varun Chakaravarthy

Roles in India’s T20 Squad

Roles of the Indian T20 squad for the 5-match T20 series (Note: your text mentions South Africa here, but context suggests the New Zealand series):

• Captain: Suryakumar Yadav
• Vice-Captain: Axar Patel
• Wicket-keepers: Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan
• All-rounders: Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar
• Batsmen: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar
• Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar

Match Schedule

India vs New Zealand Series Schedule

2026 T20 World Cup Schedule (Group Matches Only)