India to Announce T20 World Cup 2026 & New Zealand Series Squads on December 20

The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is now less than two months away, and the focus will now be on the Indian squad, most likely to be announced on Saturday, the 20th of December. The Indian cricket team is currently competing against South Africa in a five-match T20I series, with the final to be played on Friday, 19th December, in Ahmedabad.

This has further escalated the chances that the Indian team could be named right after this series. January 8 is the deadline for teams to announce their squads, as per the ICC standards and norms, and the T20 International series against New Zealand, which begins from January 21, shall offer the last chance for any preparation for this tournament, as the defending champions attempt to make a record by winning a second consecutive T20 World Cup trophy. A source had previously mentioned that this five-match series-winning T20 international side is also going to represent the country in this crucial tournament.

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Suryakumar Yadav Batter

Suryakumar Yadav, known as KY or Mr 360, is an Indian cricketer who plays for Mumbai Indians.

"The team that will be picked for the T20Is in New Zealand will be the same team that will be picked for the T20 World Cup," a source in the BCCI revealed to a resource. According to the reports available, there will be a selection of the 15-player squad that will take place at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai. But the ICC has given every country the ability to change their squads until a certain date.

Most of the players from the current T20I squad against South Africa are expected to keep their spots within the World Cup squad. Still, there is doubt about the future of Sanju Samson as the wicketkeeper has yet to play even one game.

🚨T20 WORLDCUP ANALYSIS 🚨
Indian T20 World Cup squad likely around 20th December.
But tough questions remain unanswered.
Surya and Gill are proven players, no doubt.
But right now, both are out of runs.
Form matters in T20 World Cups — there’s no time to “settle in”.

Bigger… pic.twitter.com/ZKAQHYjZlX

— Cricbuzzz (@cricbbuzz) December 18, 2025

Yashasvi Jaiswal's position is also being questioned, having not been included in the squad against South Africa. With Shubman Gill's lack of success, he might break his way back into the team, possibly at the cost of another player like Samson. Then coming back into the team from the last series of matches is Ritesh Kumar. He last played in the Bangladesh series but might get a chance again in the West Indies series. Another surprise omission from the series is Rinku Singh, who wasn't included in the series.

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Ishan Kishan Wicketkeeper-Batter

Ishan Kishan, known as the Pocket Dynamo,” is an Indian cricketer who was born in Patna, Bihar, on July 18, 1998.

Ishan Kishan’s performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy may raise questions about his future in the fray, with a possible return for Yashasvi Jaiswal. This may be at the cost of Washington Sundar and Sanju Samson’s spots in the squad, with the selectors taking into consideration the key tournaments on the calendar for India. Questions can be raised in terms of comeback chances for Mohammad Siraj, since there are three spinners in the squad.