Explained: Why India Didn't Announce Any Reserve Players For 2026 T20 World Cup

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia on Saturday, December 20, said that the Indian team would not announce any reserve players for the upcoming T20 World Cup, since the tournament will be played in India and Sri Lanka and in case of any emergencies, the required player would be ready to play.

Taking a bold, impact-first call, the Indian selectors left out Shubman Gill from the T20 World Cup team and recalled wicketkeeper-batter Ishan

Kishan, along with Rinku Singh.

Gill’s omission is the most interesting decision of the selection meeting in Mumbai, although given his form, it was not very surprising.

Gill, Rinku, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan were part of the reserves at India’s victorious campaign at the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Even at the recent Asia Cup,

India had named Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal as reserves.

Despite being among India’s most consistent performers in Tests and ODIs, Gill has struggled to cement a defined role in T20Is, as an opener, where the team is now prioritising explosive, high-impact starts over steady accumulation.

Concerns over Gill’s powerplay strike rate, coupled with the rise of more explosive options, seem to have gone against him. He managed scores of just 4, 0 and 28 across three games against South Africa.

In contrast, Ishan’s return reflects the selectors’ renewed emphasis on left-right combinations and aggressive wicket-keeping batters at the top.

Ishan, who had fallen out of favour for much of the year because of fitness and availability problems, has made a strong case for his return by starring in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, leading Jharkhand to the title with a brilliant hundred.

Ishan’s inclusion meant that talented Yashasvi Jaiswal had to miss out, while Jitesh also lost his place on the team.

India have doubled down on power at the top and middle order, picking Abhishek Sharma alongside Suryakumar, Tilak Varma and Ishan, while Rinku’s presence continues India’s commitment to a specialist finisher who can absorb pressure and explode at the death.