Overview
- Ajit Agarkar’s panel confirmed a 15-player group led by Suryakumar Yadav, with Axar Patel elevated to deputy for the February tournament in India and Sri Lanka.
- Ishan Kishan earned a recall on the back of a prolific Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and joins Sanju Samson as a wicketkeeping option at the top, while Rinku Singh returns as a finisher.
- Jitesh Sharma was left out as Agarkar and Yadav emphasized team balance and the desire for an opener who keeps wicket, with Agarkar adding Gill is currently short of runs.
- The named squad will double as the lineup for a five-match home T20I series against New Zealand starting January 21, billed as the final tune-up before the World Cup.
- Reaction followed the announcement, with Sunil Gavaskar calling Gill’s omission surprising and Ravichandran Ashwin describing the move as an inevitable outcome of the chosen combination.