Australia, England and Afghanistan Announce Squads for T20 World Cup
The 2026 T20 World Cup just over a month away. Several teams have started revealing their squads for the T20 World Cup which will be played in India and Sri Lanka next month. India are the defending champions. They were among the first teams to confirm their squad last month where they announced one shocking exclusion.
Now, Australia and England have also confirmed their provisional line-ups, with a few notable inclusions and omissions. On the other hand, Afghanistan have picked an experienced squad.
Australia Name Provisional Squad for 2026 T20 World Cup
Australia have included allrounder Cooper Connolly in their provisional squad for the T20 World Cup. Mitchell Owen and Ben Dwarshuis have missed out.
Connolly has played only 6 T20 internationals so far where he has batted only twice and taken one wicket at international level. However, he had impressed in the ongoing Big Bash League for Perth Scorchers, scoring 170 runs at a strike rate of 166.66 and picking up 5 wickets at an economy of 7.62. His inclusion adds another spin option alongside Adam Zampa, Matt Kuhnemann and Glenn Maxwell.
Pat Cummins has been named in the squad, but his participation depends on a scan later this month to assess recovery from his back injury. Josh Hazlewood has also been included, pending full recovery from hamstring and Achilles injuries.
Ben Dwarshuis is a major omission. With Mitchell Starc retired from T20Is and Spencer Johnson injured, Australia currently have no left-arm pacer in the squad. Xavier Bartlett has taken the final fast-bowling slot. Expect Dwarshuis to be included if either Cummins or Hazlewood fail to recover fully.
Tim David is another conditional inclusion after a hamstring issue that ruled him out of the ongoing BBL season.
Australia have also opted against picking a second wicketkeeper with Josh Inglis as the only specialist option. Glenn Maxwell has previously taken the gloves when there hasn’t been another specialist wicketkeeper available.
Australia have contested all the editions of the T20 World Cup since the tournament’s inception in 2007. They have lifted the trophy only once, in 2021. They made the final in 2010 but lost to England.
Australia Provisional Squad for 2026 T20 World Cup
Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
England’s Provisional Squad
England have named Jofra Archer in their provisional squad for the T20 World Cup in 2026, despite the fast bowler still recovering from a left-side strain. Archer left Australia on Boxing Day and is currently rehabilitating in Barbados under ECB supervision. He will miss England’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka but is expected to link up with the squad in India ahead of their opening Group C match against Nepal on February 8 in Mumbai.
Jamie Smith, Jordan Cox and Saqib Mahmood have been left out, while Josh Tongue has earned a call-up despite being uncapped in white-ball internationals. The team management believe Tongue’s pace will suit the flatter pitches expected in India and Sri Lanka.
Ben Duckett returns after missing the recent T20I series in New Zealand. Jamie Smith has been dropped from the limited-overs set-up after a poor run that included 4 ducks in his last 10 ODI innings and then in the Ashes.
England reached the semi-finals of the 2024 edition, losing to eventual champions India. They have previously won the tournament in 2010 and 2022.
England Provisional Squad for 2026 T20 World Cup
Harry Brook (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood
Afghanistan Retain Core Players
Afghanistan will once again be led by Rashid Khan at the T20 World Cup. The same squad will also face West Indies in a 3-match T20I series in the UAE before the tournament.
Fazalhaq Farooqi and Gulbadin Naib return after missing the Bangladesh tour earlier this year. Mujeeb Ur Rahman is also back, which has pushed AM Ghazanfar into the reserves. Naveen-ul-Haq returns after recovering from a shoulder injury that ruled him out of the Asia Cup.
Afghanistan enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in the 2024 T20 World Cup, reaching the semi-finals for the first time in ICC history. Along the way, they defeated New Zealand, West Indies, Australia and Bangladesh.
The team management have hence shown faith in its experienced players and former captains Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib, retaining them in the squad.
Afghanistan Squad for 2026 T20 World Cup
Rashid Khan (c), Ibrahim Zadran (vc), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Shahidullah Kamal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdullah Ahmadzai
Reserves: AM Ghazanfar, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi
Check out all the groups and venues of the 2026 T20 World Cup.