T20 World Cup 2026: 5 Superstar Players Who Missed

The wait for the T20 World Cup 2026 has started, with teams around the world releasing their squad for this prestigious event. Though everyone is eagerly looking forward to it, there have been shocking exclusions, which have made headlines already. Though they featured frequently since the last T20 World Cup in 2024, there have been prominent names that could not find a place in their respective teams.

This is how five of the star cricketers, who will not feature in the T20 World Cup of 2026, look along with the reasons why they are not being selected.

Why Big Names Are Missing from T20 World Cup 2026

Team selections for the World Cup are done on the basis of performance, team balance, and team strategy. Any player, however senior, can fail to make the cut if their performance is not up to the mark or if team combinations change. This is again seen in the T20 World Cup of 2026, as selectors have decided to go for raw as well as in-form performers.

1. Shubman Gill (India)

Indian cricketer Shubman Gill is one of the biggest surprises not selected for the projected squad of the T20 World Cup, 2026. He has recently been serving as the vice-captain of the Indian team in international T20s, although he has been struggling to get consistency in the format.

Even though he had such vast talent and achievements in other forms of cricket, his lack of performance in T20 cricket made selectors choose other candidates for this World Cup.

2. Mitchell Owen (Australia)

Young Aussie all-rounder Mitchell Owen is the next player who will not feature in the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in the year 2026. Mitchell has represented the country in 13 T20 Internationals and is recognized as an aggressive batsman and a medium-pace bowler. However, due to stiff competition for a position in Australia’s all-rounders, Owen was narrowly omitted.

3. Ryan Rickelton (South Africa)

South Africa’s wicketkeeper-batter Ryan Rickelton will not be a part of the T20 World Cup in 2026. Despite that, he was there in the 2024 event. Rickelton performed well in franchise cricket, including a strong performance in the IPL 2025 with Mumbai Indians, in which he scored 388 runs in 14 innings. However, for the South Africa World Cup squad, different partnerships were chosen for the wickets.

4. Tristan Stubbs (South Africa)

Another key exclusion from South Africa’s team is Tristan Stubbs. This destructive middle-order hitter has been performing well for Delhi Capitals in the IPL and has also been a part of South Africa’s 2024 T20 World Cup team. Although Stubbs had Finishing skills, he was not selected for T20 World Cup 2026, which reveals a change in team strategy by South Africa.

5. Liam Livingstone (England)

England’s powerhouse all-rounder in the likes of Liam Livingstone has also not been included in the Twenty20 World Cup slate for 2026. Liam Livingstone has also made a name in the world of white-ball cricket and has been associated with the IPL. However, their selectors decided on a slightly different balance approach, which excluded the veteran player from the World Cup team.