New Delhi, Dec 20 : Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed delight at Indiaâ??s T20 World Cup 2026 squad, stating that the team was ready for its "title defence." He said he was happy for his â??brother,â?? Sanju Samson, and lauded Ishan Kishanâ??s selection, who has made a comeback to international cricket.

In a surprising move, defending champions India have excluded Shubman Gill from their squad for next yearâ??s T20 World Cup and the upcoming T20Is against New Zealand. As announced by BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, captain Suryakumar Yadav, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, and vice-captain Axar Patel, this squad highlights notable changes.

Besides Gill, wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma is also omitted, as Ishan Kishan makes a remarkable comeback after showcasing explosive form while leading Jharkhand to victory in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Rinku Singh also returns to the T20I squad after missing out on the 3-1 series win in South Africa.

â??Title defence loading. Superb squad. Great to see Rinku back and happy for my thambi Sanju, who will now rightfully open alongside Abhishek. Adipoli Chetta! Huge applause for Ishan, who showed his hunger by grinding hard in the domestic circuit,â?? Ashwin wrote on X.

The 2026 Menâ??s T20 World Cup, taking place from February 7 to March 8, will feature 40 group matches, all scheduled to be played by February 20. The top two teams from each of the four groups will move on to the Super Eights, beginning on February 21.

India and Sri Lanka are hosting the Menâ??s T20 World Cup for the second time. Sri Lanka previously hosted in 2012, while India last held the event in 2016. After finishing a three-match ODI series, India will play five T20Is against New Zealand starting on January 21 in Nagpur, with matches also scheduled in Raipur, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and Thiruvananthapuram.

In the Menâ??s T20 World Cup, defending champions India are in Group A with Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, and Namibia. India kicks off its tournament against the USA at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 7, followed by a match against Namibia at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on February 12.

Indiaâ??s high-profile match against Pakistan is set for February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Their next and final league game will be against the Netherlands, taking place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 18.

India squad: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar and Ishan Kishan.

/IANS