With less than two months remaining for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, India skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill's lack of form is a huge concern but the BCCI selection committee is unlikely to make any surprising call when it meets to pick the 15-member squad on Saturday (December 20).
According to a PTI report, the showpiece tournament at home could well be the last for Suryakumar as national T20 skipper. He is already 35 and has been struggling for runs over the past one year.
Suryakumar has managed to score only 213 runs across 20 matches and 18 innings in 2025, averaging just over 14, with the best score of 47* to his credit. He is holding on to his place only because he is the captain.
The Ajit Agarkar-led panel will also finalize the T20I squad for next month’s five-match series against New Zealand, which will be the same as the one selected for the T20 World Cup.
While there aren't any slots up for grabs, Gill's place has been under severe scrutiny while an in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal waits in the wings.
It remains to be seen if the selectors include Jaiswal as an extra player for the New Zealand series just to observe him in case he is needed during the marquee event to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Sanju Samson holds the reserve opener's slot currently. Despite hitting three centuries last year, the wicketkeeper-batter lost his place at the top of the order after Gill returned to the T20I fold as vice-captain during the Asia Cup 2025.
As per the report, the selectors could have explored the leadership alternative had the T20 World Cup been six months away. However, what has worked in Surya’s favour is an early T20 World Cup and form deserting his deputy Gill, who was being seen as the all-format captain after taking over the reins of the Test and ODI sides.
“But with only five games left before the opening World Cup match against the United States of America in Mumbai on February 7, no selection panel would want to break the continuity,” the report further stated.
While Jaiswal's name will be up for discussion, it is difficult for him to break into the squad with Samson being the second keeper now (Jitesh Sharma is the first-choice stumper and finisher) and Gill being promoted as vice-captain
The only other weak link in the 15 seems to be Washington Sundar, who hasn't proven his mettle in 57 T20Is. But in this format, he is more of a bowling all-rounder.
India Likely 15: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Washington Sundar
Likely Stand By Players (5/6): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Shahbaz Ahmed/Nitish Kumar Reddy, Prasidh Krishna.
(With PTI Inputs)
