Media365
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has openly questioned the selection choices for India’s 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup squad, suggesting that Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jitesh Sharma should have been preferred over Ishan Kishan and Washington Sundar. Jaffer’s comments come in the wake of a shock announcement on Saturday that saw Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill axed from the squad, ahead of both the World Cup title defence and a preparatory five-match T20 series against New Zealand.
All-rounder Axar Patel has been appointed vice-captain, while Kishan earned his place following a standout campaign in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Rinku Singh also returned to the squad, taking a spot over Jitesh Sharma, partly due to India’s strategy of having two wicketkeeper-batsmen capable of opening the innings.
Wasim Jaffer post
“Why not Jaiswal and Jitesh? I would have picked them instead of Ishan and Washi. Axar is VC so he’s guaranteed to play and you can’t play Washi ahead of Varun and Kuldeep. Jitesh hasn’t done anything wrong to be dropped, and Yashasvi… there’s no need to explain why he should be in the squad in the first place,” Jaffer wrote on his X account on Sunday. Jaiswal last featured in T20Is during India’s tour of Sri Lanka in July 2024 but missed out on consistent opportunities due to his ongoing Test commitments. The 10th edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India, will feature 20 teams. India, the defending champions after a thrilling seven-run victory over South Africa in the 2024 final in Barbados, have been drawn in Group A with Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, and Namibia. India will kick off their campaign against the USA at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on February 7, followed by a clash against Namibia at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, on February 12. The marquee India-Pakistan showdown is scheduled for February 15 at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, before finishing the league stage against the Netherlands at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on February 18.
