The Indian Premier League has been a huge contributor of players to the T20 Internationals. And in the 2026 T20 World Cup, the scene has not been entirely different. Ishan Kishan can be considered an exceptional character given his standout performance in the 2026 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, earning him the call.
On December 20, BCCI announced a 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup starting on February 7, hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Here is a list of the players coming from each franchise in the T20 World Cup.
1 | Mumbai Indians becomes the highest contributor
Mumbai Indians has always been one of the highest contributors when it comes to T20 talents. And this time, four players have got the chance for the T20 World Cup, with the captain Suryakumar Yadav coming from the side and the franchise's captain Hardik Pandya. The other two players are Tilak Varma and Jasprit Bumrah.
In 2025, Surya scored 717 runs for MI, his best in any IPL season he played, with his highest score touching 738 at a strike rate of 167.91, averaging around 65.
Tilak Varma has been one of the key contributors of the team, once carrying MI on his shoulders. Tilak, since 2022, has scored 1499 runs, averaging over 37, with a strike rate of 144.41, with 8 half centuries.
However, Jasprit had to miss the initial phase of the 2025 IPL due to his back injuries and wasn't as effective for the team as he normally is. Hardik Pandya, on the other hand, captained the Mumbai Indians, delivering a strong all-round performance with 224 runs and 14 wickets, leading the team to the playoffs. He successfully navigated fan pressure to become a key player in their campaign.
2 | Kolkata Knight Riders
KKR ironically has been the former team of Gautam Gambhir, where he served as a mentor when they won in 2024, under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy. From KKR came the three obvious choices- Varun Chakravarthy, Harshit Rana, and Rinku Singh.
Varun Chakravarthy was the second-highest wicket taker of the 2024 season with 21 wickets, becoming the highest wicket taker with 36 wickets in 20 matches for India in 2025 at an average of 13.19 and an economy of 7.08.
Rana had an extraordinary season in 2024 with 19 wickets, playing a crucial role behind KKR's trophy win. Since then, Rana has been highly backed and has become an all-formal key face in India's pace department.
Rinku Singh has been highly recognized as a specialist finisher in T20 games. For India, he has a batting average of 42.30 with a strike rate of 161.76 in 35 matches.
3 | Delhi Capitals
From Delhi Capitals, the captain, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav have got the call for India. Axar Patel, who has had his seventh season with the franchise, got his leadership responsibility after the exit of Rishabh Pant in 2025.
Patel has been a premier spin-bowling all-rounder, giving solid batting support in the middle. A part of the 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, the all-rounder earned the Player of the Match title in the semifinal against England. Not only that, he scored a crucial 47 runs after a top-order failure in the final match against South Africa.
Since the 2024 T20 World Cup, he has scored 174 runs and taken 22 wickets in 19 T20I matches, showcasing his consistent impact. Notably, Patel retained his vice captaincy in the team after Shubman Gill got axed.
Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav has an impressive T20I career with 90 wickets in 50 matches at an average of 13.17. KD had his to take the ball away from both left-hand and right-hand batters, making him a valuable asset against diverse batting lineups, becoming the highest wicket taker with 17 wickets in just 7 matches in the 2025 Asia Cup.
4 | Sunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers contributed with their top-order batters Ishan Kishan, whom they acquired in 2025, and their opener Abhsihek Sharma. Abhishek Sharma saw a steep rise since he was promoted as an opener in the IPL in 2024. 484 runs in 2024 and 439 runs in 2025 sealed his place in the T20Is. In 32 T20Is, he amassed 1115 runs, including 2 centuries and 6 50s with a massive strike rate of 188.02.
For Ishan Kishan, his Syed Mushtaq Ali performance played the crucial role in earning him the cap. He scored 517 runs in 10 matches with a staggering strike rate of 193.32, becoming the top scorer of the tournament.
Read also:The Ishan Kishan redemption: From Contract snub to 2026 T20 World Cup Squad
5 | Chennai Super Kings
From CSK, the all-rounder Shivam Dube earned the cap as the regular fast-bowling all-rounder. he provides a handy medium-pace option with a lower middle-order batting. He can not hit clean sixes but also provides a left-right combination, something Gambhir loves a lot.
6 | Punjab Kings
Arshdeep Singh, the first one to reach the 100 T20I wicket, became the one Punjab Kings player who got the call. The left-arm pacer has become a core member of India’s white-ball attack, trusted with both the new ball and death overs, even he had been juggled a bit to get Rana fit in.
At the 2024 T20 World Cup, Arshdeep finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets, including a decisive 3/20 in the final against South Africa. His ability to deliver under pressure earned him the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year award in 2024. In September 2025, he became the fastest Indian pacer to reach 100 T20I wickets.
Overall, Arshdeep has taken 110 wickets in 72 T20Is at an average of 18.90 and an economy of 8.41. In the IPL, he has been a consistent performer for Punjab Kings, taking 19 wickets in IPL 2024 and continuing among the top wicket-takers in 2025. His death-overs control and big-match temperament strengthen his case for World Cup selection.
7 | Gujarat Titans
Washington Sundar’s selection in India’s 2026 T20 World Cup squad is backed by strong international numbers and role clarity, despite an inconsistent IPL trajectory. The all-rounder remains a trusted option for the team management due to his ability to contribute across formats with controlled off-spin and left-handed batting depth.
Sundar has been part of India’s title-winning squads in the 2023 Asia Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy, underlining his value in high-pressure tournaments. In T20Is, he boasts a bowling average of 22.76 and an economy rate of 6.92, figures that reflect his effectiveness in restricting runs during crucial phases. His career-best T20I figures of 3/3 against Australia in 2025 further highlight his match-winning potential.
While injuries and the IPL’s Impact Player rule limited his IPL 2025 appearances to six matches, Sundar still scored 133 runs at a strike rate of 166.25. Selectors continue to value his balanced all-round skill set for global tournaments.
Read also: Not informed before dropping! Star player not communicated before snubbing from the T20 WC Squad
8 | Rajasthan Royals
Sanju Samson has been traded to Chennai Super Kings for the 2026 IPL. So it is fair to say that its Rajasthan Royals' contribution to have Sanju Samson in the squad. Samson, who has 3 T20I centuries, has never seen consistency in the team since his debut.
Even though he is being considered as the first-choice keeper in the world Cup, Samson was pushed down the order in the middle, which affected his performance a bit.
148.06 strike rate and 1032 runs in 52 matches with three back-to-back centuries should be enough to seal his place.
IPL Team-wise Players in the Indian Squad
| IPL Teams | Number of players | Players |
| Mumbai Indians | 4 | Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Tilak Varma |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 3 | Varun Chakravarthy, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana |
| Delhi Capitals | 2 | Axar Patel (vc), Kuldeep Yadav |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 2 | Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk) |
| Chennai Super Kings | 2 | Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube |
| Punjab Kings | 1 | Arshdeep Singh |
| Gujarat Titans | 1 | Washington Sundar |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 0 | — |
| Rajasthan Royals | 0 | — |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 0 | — |
