The team that will attempt to defend the T20 World Cup title in February and March of next year will be chosen by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee, which is headed by Ajit Agarkar, on Saturday, December 20.
The teams for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand and the ensuing World Cup will be selected at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai. Following their discussion, Agarkar and T20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav will speak to the media at a press conference.
The summit match is scheduled for March 8, while the 2026 T20 World Cup starts on February 7.
The 20-team competition is co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India. Five locations in India and three in Sri Lanka will host 55 games.
Under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, the Men in Blue defeated South Africa in the final to win the title in the previous edition in 2024.
Along with Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit declared his retirement from the format following the victory. Rahul Dravid was replaced as head coach by Gautam Gambhir, while Suryakumar assumed leadership as the shortest format captain.
India hasn’t lost a T20I series since. They are currently playing South Africa at home in a five-match Twenty20 International series. The last Twenty20 International will take place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday, December 19, with the Asian powerhouses leading 2-1.
It is unlikely that there would be many shocks in India’s T20 World Cup selection. Shubman Gill’s place in the lineup is still in doubt, though, given his lacklustre results in the format this year. The Punjabi batsman has only amassed 291 runs from 15 games at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26 since rejoining the T20I team in September during the Asia Cup. He might still be selected, though, because the selectors might not want to switch their vice captain just before a major tournament like the World Cup.
According to reports, Shubman’s foot issue will prevent him from playing in the fourth Twenty20 International against South Africa. It would be intriguing to observe whether he has fully healed and is ready for Friday’s pivotal fifth Twenty20 International.
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