India's T20 World Cup squad had space for only 15, but the pool of quality options ran far deeper. The consequence was inevitable: several players with genuine claims were left on the outside, the unlucky ones who narrowly missed the cut.
Ishan Kishan's selection in the Indian Cricket Team for the T20 World Cup Squad has brought immense joy to his family. His father, Pranav Pandey, expressed his excitement about his son's addition to the squad, stating, "Ups and downs are part of sports, but he's worked hard for it."
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to introduce a revised central contract system, under which the Grade A+ category will be discontinued.
Mohammed Shami has etched his name in the record books, becoming the fastest Indian and the second-fastest bowler in the world to claim 200 wickets in ODIs
Sanju Samson marked his selection for the T20 World Cup with a quiet but powerful statement, underlining his belief and pride after retaining his place in India's squad.
The indefatigable duo of Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Siraj is expected to be the big talking point on Saturday when the selectors pick a 15-member Indian ODI squad for a three-match series against New Zealand starting January 11 in Vadodara.
Ishan Kishan's return to the Indian T20 setup is a story of timing, perseverance and a domestic season that selectors simply could not overlook.
With India set to name their T20 World Cup 2026 squad on Saturday in Mumbai, the spotlight has firmly shifted to Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav, whose recent struggles have turned the selection meeting into a high-stakes call.
The national selectors brought back wicketkeeper-batter Kishan along with Rinku Singh while dropping Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill who has been struggling in the T20 format.
'After the media exchanges between Ajit Agarkar and Mohammad Shami last week, newly-appointed selector R P Singh is at Eden Gardens for the Bengal vs Gujarat clash. The World T20 winner spoke to Shami at length after the day's play today.'
Pant cops blow during nets ahead of ODI series against New Zealand
All-rounder Axar Patel was named vice-captain of the squad, which also saw the return of in-form Ishan Kishan, who pipped Jitesh Sharma as the second wicketkeeper behind Sanju Samson.
There are three aspects of the decision taken jointly by Agarkar and Gambhir with the blessings of someone very powerful in Indian cricket ecosystem. First, they are on same page that both Rohit and Virat Kohli aren't exactly in their scheme of things for the 2027 World Cup.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday wished former Indian cricketer and 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev on his 67th birthday.
'He has not played a lot of cricket in the last 2-3 years.'
Snubbed. Criticised. Written off. Sarfaraz Khan is fighting back -- this time, not just with the bat, but with sweat and steel.
As India start their T20 World Cup title defence in less than 72 hours, one is tempted to look at Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir's working relationship which has been fantastic, at least so going by the results -- a whopping 31 wins in 39 games with a winning percentage of 79.48.
Mohammed Shami was once ignored for the upcoming two-Test series against South Africa, despite having proved his fitness in the ongoing Ranji Trophy.
These comments come after India recently announced their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Suryakumar Yadav is set to lead India in his first-ever ICC tournament as captain, with Axar Patel named as his deputy.
Despite piling up runs in domestic cricket and delivering whenever handed a chance for India, Sarfaraz Khan remains on the sidelines -- a situation that former chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar has described as both baffling and unfair.
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav acknowledged his recent lean patch and expressed confidence in returning to form ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.
'To take two left-arm spinners to Australia is not possible, but he is clearly in the scheme of things with how good he is.'
With no foreign tours for the next one year, Easwaran's Test debut looks unlikely with N Jagadeesan being looked at as a potential third opener.
Save Shreyas Iyer, who will take a lot more time to get fit, others are expected to represent their state teams.
Ajit Agarkar defended the selection of the under-fire Hardik Pandya
'Rishabh Pant is not fit for West Indies series, hopefully he will be available for home Tests against South Africa.'
Shubman Gill is set to make a comeback during the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, starting in Cuttack, on December 9.
Spin great Harbhajan Singh said the selectors were right in appointing Shubman Gill as India's ODI captain last year, stating that the youngster is ready for "big challenges".
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has dropped the ultimate cricket compliment, comparing 14-year-old Bihar batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
Shami has been out of action since his heroics in the ODI World Cup 2023.
'They are trying hard to get Virat Kohli to come back because the series is missing him.'
The Indian selectors will be announcing the team for the three-match ODI series against the Black Caps, starting January 11 in Vadodara and there have been speculations about whether Pant can hold on to his place in the squad.
The series in Australia could well be Rohit's last in India Blues. But Kohli, given his high fitness standards, could play on until the 2027 World Cup.
Ignored by the national selectors for T20 set-up, Yashasvi Jaiswal sent another stern reminder to the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee with a blistering 48-ball century as defending champions Mumbai crushed Haryana by four wickets in a high-scoring Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League B match, in Ambi, Pune, on Sunday.
'There is always a plan. Whenever you can give him a break, you will.'
Preparation of a turning pitch for the Mumbai Test, resting Jasprit Bumrah and Gautam Gambhir's coaching style were discussed threadbare.
Sanju Samson boasts of a superb record in T20 Internationals, with 995 runs in 51 matches at a strike rate of 147.40, including three centuries and as many fifties.
Even Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube channel had said that both of them might need to play a bit of domestic cricket to get into the groove and could have actually played the India A series.
Calling it the formal start of Gill's era, Chopra also wondered what the change means for Rohit Sharma, whose place in India's long-term plans could now depend solely on form and fitness.
India's T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill will be reporting at Bengaluru's Centre of Excellence on Monday for his mandatory fitness assessment protocols, which will determine his return to action for the upcoming five-match series against South Africa starting December 9.
