T20 World Cup: Chahal's predicted Indian playing XI is surprising! He dropped Ishan Kishan and didn't even pick his friend.

Posted on 4th Feb 2026 11:13 am by rohit kumar

The T20 World Cup is set to begin on February 7th. India will face the USA in their first match on the same day. ​​Ahead of this opening match, Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has surprised cricket fans and experts by selecting his potential playing XI. For the match against the USA at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, Chahal has left out big names like Ishan Kishan and Kuldeep Yadav. Interestingly, Kuldeep is currently in excellent form and is also a close friend of Chahal. Chahal has preferred Varun Chakravarthy over Kuldeep.

 

 

Ishan's exclusion is a surprise

The exclusion of Ishan Kishan, who was in excellent form in the recent T20 series against New Zealand, is considered the most surprising decision. Chahal has placed his trust in the opening pair of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. Despite Sanju Samson's recent ordinary performance, Chahal has shown faith in him. Regarding this selection, Chahal said, "In T20s, I need players who can control the game even under pressure."

 

 

Emphasis on balance in the middle order

In Chahal's team, Tilak Varma, who is returning from injury, has been given a place at number three. Captain Suryakumar Yadav will bat at number four. Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Rinku Singh will fulfill the roles of middle-order batsmen and finishers. This combination provides both depth and power to the team. He preferred Rinku over Ishan, even though Ishan has shown excellent form in the middle order.

 

 

Aggressive bowling strategy

In the bowling department, Chahal has selected two spinners, Axar Patel and Varun Chakravarthy. The fast bowling responsibilities will be on the shoulders of Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh. This balance is the reason for Kuldeep Yadav's exclusion, who has played limited T20 matches since the 2025 Asia Cup final.

 

 

India's challenge in Group A

Defending champions India are placed in Group A along with Pakistan, USA, Netherlands, and Namibia. Team India aims to create history. India is aiming to become the first team to defend the title on home soil and win the T20 World Cup for the third time.

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