Can India make changes to its T20 World Cup 2026 squad before the tournament? Know all the information here

By Samira Vishwas On Dec 23, 2025

The most surprising decision of team selection was the exclusion of vice-captain Shubman Gill. In his place, all-rounder Akshar Patel has been made the vice-captain of Suryakumar Yadav. Suryakumar will take over the captaincy in this tournament and is expected to take the team forward in an aggressive and balanced manner. It has also become clear from the selection that the team management has shown great confidence in experience and all-round options.

The Indian team has once again adopted the strategy of giving chances to wicketkeeper-batsmen in the top order. Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are strong contenders for opening, while Abhishek Sharma can also play an important role in the opening order. This combination is considered very important to give a fast start to the team. However, BCCI has announced the team about 49 days before the tournament.

The same team will also be seen playing in the five-match T20 International series against New Zealand to be held in India from January 21. This series is being considered an important opportunity to prepare the team and test the form of the players before the World Cup. However, the question is also arising whether there can be any change in the team before the World Cup.

In such a situation, let us tell you that according to ICC rules, any team has to declare its initial team one month before the start of the tournament. India has declared its team long before this deadline. The rules also state that the final team must be submitted at least a week before the start of the tournament. Accordingly, India can make changes in its team till 31 January.

Changes are also possible after January 31, but only if a player is injured and special permission will be required from the ICC. That means the selectors will keep an eye on the performance of the series and practice matches against New Zealand.