India’s T20I side looks different than it did a year ago. A World Cup title, a captaincy change, and a wave of new talent have all reshaped the conversation about the best available XI.
The Top Order
Ishan Kishan’s comeback has been the story of the year, and his form has taken him to the top of the ICC T20I batting rankings. He opens alongside Abhishek Sharma, whose consistent scoring throughout the 2026 T20 World Cup made him a fixture at the top of the order.
Middle Order and Captaincy
- Shreyas Iyer now captains the side after being named India’s T20I skipper in June, with Tilak Varma as his deputy
- Sanju Samson remains a key finisher and wicketkeeping option after his Player of the Series showing at the World Cup
- Shivam Dube provides power-hitting depth in the middle order
The Bowling Attack
Jasprit Bumrah returns to the T20I fold for the Asian Games after being rested through the Ireland and England tours, joined by Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi, giving India a genuine mix of pace and wrist spin. Washington Sundar and Axar Patel add further balance as spin-bowling all-rounders.
A Squad in Transition
The biggest change is at the top: Suryakumar Yadav, captain during the World Cup win, has been left out of the current T20I setup as selectors shift toward a younger core. That shift also opened the door for 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s call-up, part of a broader trend covered in our feature on young Indian cricketers who could become the next superstars.
The Test Ahead
This XI faces its first real assessment at the Asian Games, followed immediately by a heavy stretch against West Indies, both detailed in our roundup of India’s biggest cricket matches to watch in 2026.