Why Travelling Reserves Are Not Announced in India's Squad for T20 World Cup 2026?

With the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 just a month away, India have officially announced its squad as well as for the forthcoming New Zealand tour of India. The selection committee has finalized all the playing XI and possible squad combinations and announced its 15-member squad for the upcoming tournament.

India have recalled Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh in the squad and has shockingly dropped their vice-captain, Shubman Gill. Although the squad has some of the most dangerous batsmen in the world, fans were surprised to see that India did not name any traveling or standby players along with the main squad.

In recent ICC tournaments, teams have usually announced backup options to cover injuries and last-minute unavailability. This time, however, there was no mention of travelling reserves in India squad for T20 World Cup 2026. Typically, standby players are designated for ICC events, as seen in the 2022 and 2024 World Cups, which surprised a section of fans and analysts.

Why Traveling Reserves in India Squad Have Not Been Announced?

The main reason why India squad for T20 World Cup 2026 reserves have not been announced is because the tournament is in the country itself. India and Sri Lanka are set to co-host the ICC event. The Men in Blue will only travel to Sri Lanka for their league stage match against Pakistan.

With the T20 World Cup 2026 scheduled in India and Sri Lanka, the selection committee and the Board of Control for Cricket in India have opted out to announce any reserve players as they have greater logistical control. Unlike overseas tournaments, the players do not need long travel windows or special visas or extended accommodation periods.

"There are no standbys since the whole tournament is happening in the country and we can replace any player at any point in time," BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said during the squad announcement press conference.
Because the event is being conducted on Indian soil, the India squad for T20 World Cup reserve players can be arranged quickly if required. This flexibility has reduced the need to formally name India squad reserve players in advance, and that is the main reason why the selectors did not announce any traveling reserves for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

India Squad for T20 World Cup 2026

The India T20 World Cup squad reflects a clear change in the mindset and is based on form, balance, and role clarity for players and fans. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the side, continuing as the captain, while Axar Patel has been appointed vice-captain.

The selectors have dropped Shubman Gill, one of the best batsmen in the world right now, and have asked Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh to come back in the T20 format. Overall, the India squad for T20 World Cup 2026 shows confidence in depth and home advantage. Without formally naming the traveling reserves, management believes that it is well prepared to handle any emergency situation or any injury concerns that may arise during the tournament.

India's Squad for T20 World Cup 2026

Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (wk)