The T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to take place in India and Sri Lanka from February 7, has already witnessed some surprises before even the first ball is bowled. Although a total of 20 teams are participating in the tournament, 15 countries have already announced their squads. However, the USA, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and UAE are yet to announce their final squads of 15 players.
In the midst of all these announcements, some big-name players have failed to make it to the list of their respective teams. Shockingly, one team has left their captain out of the squad.
5-star players who won’t be playing in the T20 World Cup 2026
Tristan Stubbs – South Africa
Young South African batter Tristan Stubbs was a part of the Proteas team in the 2024 T20 World Cup and was considered a budding talent in the shortest format of the game. Although he toured India in December and was in the recent mix, the right-handed batter has been omitted from the South Africa T20 World Cup 2026 squad, which has shocked many fans.
Steve Smith – Australia
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Australian veteran Steve Smith is currently having a phenomenal stint in T20 cricket. He recently hit a century in the Big Bash League, and in the last two seasons of the BBL, he has scored 383 runs in just seven matches, including two hundreds and two half-centuries. Despite his incredible form, Steve Smith has not been included in the Australian T20 squad for the T20 World Cup 2026.
Shubman Gill – India
The biggest surprise came from the selection of the Indian squad. Shubman Gill, who was the vice-captain of the Indian T20 squad, was expected to be a certainty for the World Cup. But his non-selection left the entire cricketing community stunned. Shubman Gill is currently the captain of the Indian ODI and Test team, and his absence in the T20 World Cup 2026 is even more surprising.
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Liam Livingstone – England
Known as one of the most destructive all-rounders in contemporary T20 cricket, Liam Livingstone has been a regular match-winner for England. He has a staggering strike rate of 149 in T20 Internationals, has scored a century, and has taken 33 wickets in 60 matches. Having plenty of experience playing in Indian conditions, his exclusion from England’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad left many people surprised.
Joe Burns – Italy (Captain Dropped)
Perhaps the most extreme case of exclusion comes from Italy. Former Australian international Joe Burns led Italy to their first ever qualification for the T20 World Cup 2026. However, due to some availability issues and unresolved contracts, Burns was not chosen for the World Cup team, and Italy will be playing without a captain who led them to qualification.
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