FORMER Twenty20 world champions India on Wednesday (8) announced their 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup to be held in the United Arab Emirates and Dubai and the biggest surprise was the return of veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
Former India captain Mahandra Singh Dhoni, who led India to their only title win in 2007, was picked as the team mentor. Suryakumar Yadav made the cut while an injured Washington Sundar missed the bus. Virat Kohli was named the captain and he will lead India in a T20 World Cup for the first time.
Ashwin’s selection saw Yuzvendra Chahal, India’s highest wicket-taker in the shortest format, not getting a call. Ashwin, 34, last played in a T20 match for India against the West Indies in July 2017. He was a member of the Indian squad that made the semi-finals of the 2016 T20 World Cup at home. He has taken 52 wickets in 46 matches so far in the shortest format after making debut in 2010. Ashwin has not been picked for any other the four Test matches that India recently played against England.
Jay Shah speaks on Dhoni
Board of Control for Cricket in India honorary secretary Jay Shah revealed the thinking that went into appointing Dhoni, who turned 40 in July.
“As far as Dhoni is concerned, I spoke to him when I was in Dubai,” Shah said. “He was okay with the decision, and he agreed to be a mentor for team India, for the T20 World Cup only.
“I spoke to the captain (Virat Kohli) and vice-captain (Rohit Sharma) as well as Ravi Shastri (the head coach), and that’s why we reached the conclusion,” he added.
India will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in the first match of the tournament in Dubai on October 24.
India squad for T20 World Cup 2021: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice captain), KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Suryakumar Yadav, Rahul Chahar
Shreyas Iyer, Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar were included as standby players.
Activists and supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) clash with police personnel during a protest demanding the resignation of India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged NEET examination irregularities in New Delhi on July 20, 2026. India's riot police baton-charged protesters in New Delhi as they tried to march to parliament on July 20, escalating a protest over irregularities in major examinations.Getty Images
A police personnel fires tear gas shells to disperse activists and supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) during a protest demanding the resignation of India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged NEET examination irregularities in New Delhi on July 20, 2026. India's riot police baton-charged protesters in New Delhi as they tried to march to parliament on July 20, escalating a protest over irregularities in major examinations.Getty Images
Protesters gather as they take part in a demonstration organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar during the opening day of Parliament's Monsoon Session on July 20, 2026 in New Delhi, India. A mix of protesters gathered in New Delhi on Monday as discontent bubbled over myriad issues, and as Sonam Wangchuk, an activist who was fasting in protest, was forcibly taken to hospital on Sunday. Getty Images
Opposition leaders of the Indian National Congress (INC) party Rahul Gandhi (C back) and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (C) stage a sit-in protest calling for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation outside the latter's residence in New Delhi on July 21, 2026, a day after police crackdown against the protesting Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) supporters demanding the Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan step down over alleged NEET examination irregularities.Getty Images
Protesters stand amid debris strewn across a road during clashes with police at a demonstration organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on the opening day of Parliament's Monsoon Session on July 20, 2026 in New Delhi, India. A mix of protesters gathered in New Delhi on Monday as discontent bubbled over myriad issues, and as Sonam Wangchuk, an activist who was fasting in protest, was forcibly taken to hospital on Sunday.Getty Images
