The ICC T20 World Cup will have 20 teams competing to snatch the title from mighty India's grasp.
10 of these 20 teams are minnows and their squads are sprinkled with Indian origin players. These cricketers all geared to represent their adopted countries, moved abroad as toddlers and teens, some even in their early 20s.
USA
Monank Patel
Born in Anand, Gujarat, the 32 year old played alongside Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel in the Gujarat U-19 and U-16 teams respectively.
He migrated permanently to the US in 2013, having already received his green card in 2010. By 2016 he moved to New Jersey to start a restaurant business, with cricket still a side dish.
By 2018 he was named in the USA squad for the 2018-2019 ICC World T20 Americas Qualifier in North Carolina, and later for the 2018 ICC World Cricket League Division Three in Oman. He made his T20I and ODI debuts a year later -- against the UAE in March 2019 and against Papua New Genua in April 2019.
His watershed moment came at the 2024 T20 World Cup when he scored a match-winning half century against Pakistan. He will lead the USA at the World Cup.
Jessy Singh
A right arm pacer, born to Punjabi parents in Queens, New York. He moved to India with his father when he was three, but returned to the US a decade later.
Having played club cricket for New York City, Jessy been a journeyman cricketer from a young age. He made his first-class debut in Sri Lanka in 2016, played in the Global T20 Canada tournament in 2019 and the Caribbean Premier League in 2020. He got a call-up to the USA squad in 2015 but broke through the USA T20I and ODI teams only in 2019.
Milind Kumar
Delhi-born right handed batter, Milind represented Delhi and Tripura in first class cricket.
An ONGC employee, the 34 year old was picked by IPL franchise Delhi Daredevils in 2014, and later in 2019, RCB claimed him for his base price of 20 lakh. He never played in the IPL but quickly made his mark in first class cricket. In 2018-2019 he was picked by Sikkim ahead of the Ranji Trophy season and was a top-scorer that season with 1,331 runs.
In August 2019, the big-hitting batter left Sikkim and joined Tripura before being drafted overseas in Minor League Cricket two years later. In 2023, he was drafted by Texas Super Kings for Major League Cricket. A year later he made his T20I debut for the USA.
Sanjay Krishnamurthi
Born in Oregon, to an Indian father and Caucasian mother, cricket came naturally to him. The family relocated to India from Arizona when he was 8. He joined an academy in Bengaluru and went on to play play zonal cricket and was roped into Karnataka's U-16 side.
A multi-talented kid, he participated in the World Robot Olympiad at the national level during his time in India.
With opportunities at the top level coming at a trickle in India, he took an opportunity as American citizen to trial for the MLC in Mumbai in 2019. A year later, he headed to Houston for the second round of trials.
COVID twisted the strings of fate, stranding him in the USA and forcing the family to relocate to be with him.
Since then, Sanjay, a student of computer science at San Jose State University, has played in Major League Cricket and was part of the T20 World Cup team in 2024.
Harmeet Singh
The 33 year old is one of the three Mumbai-born players who are representing the USA at this T20 World Cup. The left arm orthodox bowler plied his trade for Mumbai and Tripura.
He was part of India's Under-19 cricket team in 2010 and 2012. A product of the Shivaji Park Gymkhana, and trained by the likes of Pravin Amre and Rohit Sharma's coach Dinesh Lad, at 16 years of age, Harmeet was a recipient of the Ramakant Achrekar Scholarship.
He was picked by RCB in the IPL in 2013 and when the spot-fixing scandal broke out that year, was probed by the BCCI when a bookie alleged that he unsuccessfully tried to involve Harmeet. Harmeet was cleared after the investigation by the BCCI.
He moved to the USA in 2020 and played for the Seattle Thunderbolts in 2021. In 2022, he was the first player to be selected in Major League Cricket before finally earning a cap in a T20I match against Canada in 2024.
Saurabh Netravalkar
The 34 year old played a first-class game for Mumbai alongside the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Shardul Thakur back in 2013 but he was not able to graduate to the Indian team after representing the country in the 2010 U-19 World Cup.
At 21, Netravalkar pursued higher studies in the United States after getting an offer from Cornell University for a master's degree in computer science in 2015. He represented his university and was inducted into the American College Cricket Hall of Fame in 2021.
Years later, he joined Oracle as a software engineer in California. In 2018 made his List A debut for the USA.
His moment in the sun came at the 2024 T20 World Cup, when defending 19 runs, Saurabh kept his composure to stop Pakistan at 13 and give his adopted nation a win for the ages.
Shubham Ranjane
Born in Pune, the 31-year-old all-rounder has played for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy in the past.
A third-generation India player -- his grandfather Vasant played seven Tests between 1958 and 1964, while his father Subhash turned out for India Under-19s, India A and Maharashtra -- Shubham moved to the US in 2022.
He made an immediate impact by helping the Seattle Thunderbolts lift the MLC title. He made his USA debut in the ICC men's cricket World Cup League 2 ODI game against Nepal in Dubai.
Of late, Ranjane has gone on to become an explosive finisher with a strike-rate of 142, those numbers coming in his stints in franchise cricket in SA20, Major League Cricket and Bangladesh Premier League.
UAE
Alishan Sharafu
Born in Kerala's Kanhagad, he has spent most of his life in the UAE. His earliest cricketing memory is India lifting the 2011 ODI World Cup. At 23, he is now a key part of the team's top order. He is one of only three players retained from the 2022 World Cup squad, along with Captain Muhammad Waseem and Pakistan-born fast bowler Junaid Siddique.
Aryansh Sharma
Born in Ghaziabad, the 21-year-old wicket-keeper-batter moved to the UAE with his family when he was just two. After impressing at the youth level, he has made a smooth transition to the senior team. Some impactful performances are expected from him in the middle order.
Simranjeet Singh
From Ludhiana in Punjab, Simranjeet's journey has been anything but conventional. A former net bowler to Shubman Gill, he was stranded in Dubai during COVID. Choosing to stay on and coach, the 36-year-old slow left-arm orthodox bowler eventually qualified for the national side, becoming the first Amritdhari Sikh to represent the UAE in international cricket.
Dhruv Parashar
The 21-year-old all-rounder was born in Pune and has emerged as a valuable tactical option for the UAE since making his T20I debut in 2023.
Comfortable under pressure, he earned praise for a gritty knock against Pakistan in the 2025 Asia Cup. His recall underlines his growing reputation as a big-match player.
Harshit Kaushik
UAE-born and largely private about his personal life, Kaushik's roots are visible on social media, where his profile features a trishul, the Indian flag and the UAE flag.
A slow left-arm orthodox all-rounder, he could prove handy in familiar subcontinental conditions.
Mayank Kumar
Born in Rohtak, Haryana, the 28-year-old opener developed his technique in Indian age-group cricket before relocating. His inclusion adds stability at the top, with conditions similar to those he grew up playing in expected to suit his game.
THE NETHERLANDS
Aryan Dutt
The 22 year old traces his origin to Hoshiarpur in Punjab.
He had a forgettable outing in the 50-over World Cup in India in 2023 but will be looking to bring on an impactful performance at the T20 World Cup.
In his formative days, Dutt spent a couple of years in Chandigarh to sharpen his cricketing skills.
On February 10, the all-rounder is hoping to play in front of his extended family at New Delhi when the Dutch face Namibia and eight days later he could be in the Playing XI against India.
OMAN
Jatinder Singh
Born in Ludhiana, Jatinder moved to Oman with his family when he was 14.
He never played in India but rose up the ranks in Omani cricket having represented the Omani under-19 side at the 2007 ACC Under-19 Elite Cup.
At 21, he made his senior debut, while making his Twenty20I debut at the 2015 World Twenty20 Qualifier. He hasn't looked back since and the captain is now Oman's all-time leading run scorer in T20Is.
Vinayak Shukla
Born in Kanpur, the 31 year old is Oman's trusted wicket-keeper. He played club cricket in Kanpur in his early days, often duelling with Kuldeep Yadav. As a novice, he received 'keeping lessons from Dinesh Karthik at the Kolkata Knight Riders' nets.
Searching for greener pastures, he moved to Oman in 2021 and pursued cricket in his adopted country.
He made his T20I debut in 2024 and has already made some impactful contributions in his short international career. A part of last year's Asia Cup, the Omani vice-captain is known to be a quick scorer in the middle overs.
Jiten Ramanandi
Born in Navsari, Gujarat, the 34-year-old all-rounder made his debut for Oman last February.
He took up cricket at a young age and went on to represent Baroda at the Under-19 level and played alongside Hardik Pandya in club cricket in Gujarat.
Ashish Odedara
Born in Junagadh, Gujarat, the batter has come to become a dependable force for the Omani squad. The 34 year old can turn his arm over when need be, and although he is just a dozen matches old in international cricket, much will be demanded of him at the World Cup.
Karan Sonavale
Born in Mumbai, the 31 year old made his T20I debut for Oman in December 2024. Still a newbie, he would like to make a name for himself at this tournament.
Jay Odedra
The 36 year old was born in Porbandar, Gujarat, before shifting base. The bowling all-rounder is a rookie in the Omani T20I squad but packs a lot of promise.
ITALY
Jaspreet Singh
Born in Phagwara, Jaspreet will be representing the T20I debutants.
32-year-old Jaspreet moved to a town near Milan with his family back in 2006.
He started his cricketing journey in his adopted homeland with tape-ball cricket before graduating to red-ball cricket in 2016-2017, leading to his international debut in 2019.
CANADA
Dilpreet Bajwa
Bajwa, 22, who has featured in nine ODIs and 17 T20Is, will make his debut as captain at the global showpiece.
Born in Gurdaspur, Bajwa moved to Canada only in 2020 due to the lack of opportunities in age-group cricket in Punjab. The dream materialised, only time miles away from home.
Success in the Canada Global T20 League fast-tracked him into the national team. The fast-scoring batter was part of Canada's campaign in the 2024 T20 World Cup and has not looked back thereafter.
Harsh Thaker
Born in Ahmedabad, Harsh moved to Canada with his family at age seven. Growing up in a cricket-loving home in Ontario, his father played a key role in his development by bowling to him and encouraging his passion for the sport.
He represented Canada at the 2016 Under-19 World Cup. He rose through the ranks and made his T20I debut for Canada in 2019.
Thaker was also part of Canada's squad in the last T20 World Cup.
Jaskarandeep Buttar
The 36 year old, born in Mohali, started his cricketing career for Punjab back in 2009.
The medium pacer went on to represent India A in First Class cricket in 2010. He also played in the IPL for the erstwhile Deccan Chargers back in 2010, picking 6 wickets from 6 games.
He also played domestically for Chandigarh before moving to Canada, where he made his T20I and ODI debut last year.
Navneet Dhaliwal
The experienced middle order batter was born in Chandigarh. He played age-group cricket for Punjab before moving to Canada at the age of 22 when his family bought a gas station.
Since making his List A debut for Canada in 2015, he has been a regular fixture in the Canada squad. He made his T20 debut for Canada in 2019 and made his ODI debut in 2025.
Shreyas Movva
Born in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, Movva moved to Montreal at 23 in 2016 to attend Concordia University, where he studied software engineering.
The wicket-keeper batter made his T20 debut for Canada in 2021, becoming the first player from Quebec to be selected for Canada in twelve years. He has since played 24 T20Is and made his ODI debut in 2024.
Yuvraj Samra
Samra was born in Brampton, Ontario.
The top order batter was introduced to cricket by his father who moved to Canada from India. As a child, he often accompanied his father to local matches and quickly developed an interest in the sport.
Since making his T20I debut in 2025, the 19-year-old batter has gone on to play 16 matches, scoring 442 runs at an average of 37 and a strike rate of over 160.
He holds the record for fastest half-century by a Canadian in T20I cricket, a feat he achieved during a T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier match against Bahamas in June 2025.
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