Preparations intensified for New Zealand series and T20 World Cup, BCCI will hold meeting regarding team selection

Mumbai. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Friday that the Indian selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar will meet at the BCCI headquarters on Saturday to select the teams for the International T20 series to be held in New Zealand next year and the T20 World Cup 2026. It is believed that both the teams will be largely similar, with no major changes expected. India captain Suryakumar Yadav will also attend the meeting, although he is currently in Ahmedabad for the fifth and final T20 against South Africa.

The 15-man squad will be submitted to the ICC in advance, although changes can be made to the tournament squads at the close in case of injury or form concerns. Further changes during the tournament will require the approval of the ICC Technical Committee. India is co-hosting the T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka. India will start its campaign against America on February 7 at the Wankhede Stadium.

They will then travel to Delhi for their second match of Group A against Namibia, followed by a high-stakes clash with Pakistan in Colombo and then conclude the group stage against the Netherlands in Ahmedabad. The team is expected to be captained by Suryakumar Yadav, with Shubman Gill as his vice-captain. However, both players are keeping an eye on their current form.

Despite being India’s top T20 run-scorer last year, Sanju Samson has often been benched while Yashasvi Jaiswal waits in the wings, increasing the pressure on Gill to justify his selection. It is noteworthy that India won its second T20 World Cup title in 2024 by defeating South Africa in a thrilling final under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. After this win, Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja retired from international T20.