No Gill, Jitesh for T20 World Cup; Ishan Kishan returns to India T20I squad

No Gill, Jitesh for T20 World Cup; Ishan Kishan returns to India T20I squad

Ishan Kishan had a breakout season in the SMAT with 517 runs in 10 innings ©AFP

Ishan Kishan and Rinku Singh have been included in India's 15-man squad for the Men's T20 World Cup 2026 and the five-match T20I series against New Zealand in the lead-up to the global event next year. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the side while Axar Patel has been named as the vice-captain.

As a result, Shubman Gill, who was vice-captain of the squad until the recently concluded T20I series against South Africa, and Jitesh Sharma, have missed the cut. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia, captain Suryakumar Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced the 15-man squad for the mega-event from the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Saturday (December 20).

India Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel (vc), Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Rinku Singh

Axar was vice-captain of the Indian T20I squad until the conclusion of the five-match T20I series against England in January and February before Gill took over the role in India's next T20I assignment at the Asia Cup in September, this year. Gill remained the deputy for Suryakumar in the subsequent Australia and South Africa series as well but Axar will now take over.

Gill had missed the last two T20Is due to a foot injury which he suffered in the nets ahead of the abandoned T20I in Lucknow. But, it wasn't a fruitful year for Gill in T20Is scoring just 291 runs in 15 innings at an average of 24.25 and striking at 137.26 with no fifties or hundreds to show for his efforts.

Kishan, meanwhile, had a breakout season in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as he captained Jharkhand to the crown. He scored 517 runs in just 10 innings at 57.32 and struck at a whopping 197.32 in the tournament. He scored two fifties and two hundreds, including a century in the final against Haryana (101 off 49).

The batters include a power-packed lineup of Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Rinku and Kishan. Hardik Pandya who blitzed 63 off 25 balls in the final T20I in Ahmedabad is one among four all-rounders with Axar, Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar the other three.

The bowling composition includes three frontline pacers and two frontline spinners. Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace attack while Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana are the other two fast-bowlers. The spinners include Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav.

Ahead of India attempting to defend their T20 World Cup, India will face New Zealand for three ODIs and five T20Is. The T20I series will be played from January 21 to January 31 in preparation for the marquee event. The squad for the three ODIs, which will be played from January 11 to January 18, will be announced at a later date.

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Tickner stretchered off after suspected shoulder dislocation

Tickner stretchered off after suspected shoulder dislocation

Blair Tickner being stretchered off in pain ©Getty

Blair Tickner's return to Test cricket turned painful as the New Zealand seamer had to be stretchered off the Basin Reserve after suffering a suspected shoulder dislocation while fielding on the opening day of the second Test against West Indies.

Tickner, playing his first Test since early 2023, had earlier spearheaded the hosts' attack with a superb 4 for 32, ripping through the visitors' top order. But his outing changed course dramatically in the 67th over when he dived at fine leg in an attempt to save a boundary. He immediately signalled for help, prompting teammates and medical staff to rush to his aid before he was taken off the field to warm applause from the home crowd.

The setback adds to New Zealand's growing injury crisis in the seam department. Tickner had only been drafted in after Matt Henry and Nathan Smith were ruled out in Christchurch, and his departure makes him the third fast bowler to be sidelined mid-Test in this series.

Before the injury, Tickner had been the pick of the attack, trapping Brandon King and Kavem Hodge lbw, bouncing out Shai Hope, and uprooting Roston Chase's leg stump. His absence leaves New Zealand with Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes and debutant Michael Rae - a trio with limited Test experience - to carry the seam workload. Remarkably, part-timers Glenn Phillips (31 Test wickets) and Kane Williamson (30) remain the side's leading wicket-takers in the match.

It is the first time since the Kingston Test of 2012, when Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner debuted together, that New Zealand have fielded a pace attack with fewer than 50 combined Test wickets. The hosts, despite bowling West Indies out for 205 in the first innings, again face the prospect of finishing a Test short of frontline seamers, just as they did in Christchurch, where West Indies held on for a famous draw.

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Colin Munro retires from international cricket

Colin Munro retires from international cricket

Munro has hit three T20I tons. © Getty

Colin Munro has announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate effect. The aggressive New Zealand batter, who has scored over 3000 runs in international cricket, has not played for the national side in the last four years with his most recent appearance coming in a T20I against India in 2020.

The left-hander first made his debut in a T20I in December 2012 before making his ODI debut the following month. He has played only one Test in his career, back in January 2013 as he was predominantly considered a white-ball specialist. In total, he represented New Zealand 123 times across formats and ended up scoring over 3000 runs.

Munro is the only New Zealand batter with three centuries in T20Is and was a part of the T20 World Cup squads in 2014 and 2016 and was also part of the squad that finished runners-up in the ODI World Cup in 2019. The veteran batter has been plying his trade in franchise cricket around the globe and revealed that he decided to retire after failing to find a spot in the 2024 T20 World Cup squad.

"Playing for the BLACKCAPS has always been the biggest achievement in my playing career," the 37-year-old said. "I never felt prouder than donning that jersey, and the fact that I've been able to do that 123 times across all formats is something I will always be incredibly proud of. Although it has been a while since my last appearance, I never gave up hope that I might be able to return off the back of my franchise T20 form. With the announcement of the BLACKCAPS squad for the T20 World Cup now is the perfect time to close that chapter officially."

NZC chief executive Scott Weenink reserved rich praise for Munro, labelling him as one of the pioneers of 360-degree style batting. "Colin was one of our first players to embrace the aggressive, 360-degree style batting that is now accepted all around the world as best practice," he said, "He was one of the pioneers of the new game, an innovative batsman who took calculated risk-taking to a new level, and led what was to become a revolution in the way short-form cricket was played. We thank him for his amazing contribution in more than hundred international games, and wish him well in his future pursuits."

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