Four Indian Players Likely Out of Contention for the T20 World Cup 2026 Squad

India's entry into the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup as champions is a given, and from February 7 to March 8, the team will try to keep the co-host's crown with Sri Lanka. The Blue Brigade, being in Group A, will encounter the USA, Namibia, Pakistan, and the Netherlands during the first stage of the tournament. Suryakumar Yadav will assume the position of the team captain, and India will seek to restart with a more youthful core and then major transition.

Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, India took the 2024 T20 World Cup and thus the long wait of 17 years was over. Shortly after that came transition, as the T20I careers of the stars Rohit, Virat, and Jadeja came to an end. The selection committee has since heavily depended on the youngsters such as Hardik Pandya, Abhishek Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah, with their performance in both T20I and IPL 2025 very much determining the direction of the team.

The squad for the South Africa series is a reflection of the BCCI's decision to invest in the future, as it retains most of the core that won the Asia Cup. The decision to omit Rinku Singh was a definite indication that the team was moving towards a more all-rounder-dominated setup. As the selectors are getting close to wrapping up their discussions about the 2026 World Cup team, quite a few players have surely lost their chances.

Here are four Indian cricketers who appear to be out of the race for a T20 World Cup 2026 spot:

1. Yashasvi Jaiswal

Primarily involved in Test cricket of late, Jaiswal’s inconsistent ODI form and limited T20I opportunities have pushed him down the pecking order. With Abhishek Sharma impressing and Shubman Gill being backed as an opener, Jaiswal’s omission from the South Africa T20I squad suggests he is unlikely to make the World Cup cut.

2. Nitish Reddy

Despite showcasing his potential in the IPL, Nitish Reddy has been utilised mostly in the longer formats. With Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya locked in as pace-all-rounders, the youngster appears far from the T20I radar at the moment, reducing his chances of breaking into the World Cup squad.

3. Mohammed Siraj

A member of India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad, Mohammed Siraj has not found favour in the shortest format under the current team management. With emerging quicks like Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna getting the nod ahead of him, Siraj’s prospects for the 2026 World Cup look increasingly uncertain.

4. Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer suffered a serious abdominal injury—a spleen laceration with internal bleeding—during the third ODI against Australia in Sydney. Already not a regular in T20Is, his injury setback further diminishes his chances of making the 2026 squad. His return to international cricket will depend on the pace of his recovery.

The final group of players for India will depend on form, fitness and performance in the series before the World Cup, but at the moment, these four players appear to be lagging behind in the competition to represent India at T20 World Cup 2026.