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Ajit Agarkar, chairman of the Indian selection committee, stressed Rinku Singh's addition to India's squad for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup and New Zealand T20I series.
The team was announced by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia at the board's headquarters on Saturday, in the presence of captain Suryakumar Yadav and chief selector Ajit Agarkar. Suryakumar Yadav will lead a 15-man squad in the upcoming T20 World Cup, with Shubman Gill, who has been the vice-captain of the T20I team, dropped amid fitness and form concerns, and Axar Patel returning to deputy duties. Agarkar highlighted Rinku Singh's impact, noting that he gives India a bit more depth in the lower middle order and that the team is currently evaluating combinations, so Gill misses out this time. "Rinku (Singh) has come in, who gives us a little bit more depth in the lower middle order. It's about combinations, so someone has to miss out, and unfortunately, it is Gill at this point," Agarkar told the reporters. The five-match T20I series against New Zealand will start on January 21, following three ODIs between the Champions Trophy 2025 finalists. India is placed in Group A alongside Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and the United States and will start its campaign against the USA on February 7 in Mumbai. India's preference for a wicketkeeper at the top of the order has been central to their thinking, which has opened the door for Ishan Kishan, who has captured eyeballs with his domestic form, scoring 517 runs in 10 innings in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy while also captaining Jharkhand to the title. Ishan, who had a marvellous SMAT 2025/26 campaign with Jharkhand, leading them to their first-ever SMAT title, has returned to the side after last playing a T20I against Australia in late 2023. Agarkar underlined that Kishan's recall was purely cricketing. "He bats at the top in white ball cricket and has been in good form. We felt he was the right candidate at this point. When you are looking to construct a team, you are looking at the right kind of backups," he added. Agarkar also reiterated that Gill remains a key figure in India's plans despite missing out. "We still think he is a quality player. It's not because he's not a good player. Hopefully by the next World Cup, he is again the No.1 batter in the world," he concluded. India's squad for T20 World Cup 2026 and New Zealand T20I series: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-capt), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (wk). (ANI)
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