IPL Stars Back, New Faces In: West Indies Name T20 World Cup 2026 Squad

A 15-person team for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which will take place in India and Sri Lanka, has been confirmed by the West Indies. Quentin Sampson is on the team, while fast bowler Alzarri Joseph is out with an injury. On Tuesday, January 27, in Paarl, the same team will play in a three-match Twenty20 International series against South Africa.

In the T20 World Cup 2026, which takes place next month, Shai Hope will captain the two-time champion West Indies. The Caribbean team will also have pacer Shamar Joseph and rookie batsman Quentin Sampson. After missing the West Indies' three-match series against Afghanistan, which they lost 1-2, due to T20 commitments, former captain Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, and Rovman Powell also rejoined the team. The selection for the 20-team competition, which begins on February 7, includes up to 11 players from the previous T20 World Cup, which took place in the Americas.

West Indies T20 World Cup 2026 Squad:

JUST IN: West Indies announce their squad for the upcoming #T20WorldCup 🏝️ pic.twitter.com/wGyxEKWMXv

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 26, 2026

Charles and current head coach Daren Sammy participated in the West Indies' historic 2016 Indian title victory. Despite not participating in any games during the tournament, Holder was also a member of that team. All things considered, the 2026 team is very similar to the one that played two years ago, with the exception of Pooran and Russell's retirements.

Sampson, who made his T20I debut in the most recent series against Afghanistan, is the only unexpected addition. Even though he only scored 35 runs in three innings during that series, an outstanding 2025 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season with the Guyana Amazon Warriors played a major role in his selection. The 25-year-old made his T20 debut in that competition, scoring 241 runs with a strike rate of 151.57 to help GAW place second.

The Caribbean team is positioned in Group C with former winners England, newcomers Italy and Nepal, and Scotland, who took Bangladesh's place after they declined to travel to India for the competition. In order to strengthen their preparations for the T20 World Cup, West Indies will play South Africa in a three-match away Twenty20 International series from January 27–31. On February 7, they will play their first T20 World Cup encounter in Kolkata against Scotland.

West Indies Squad: Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hossein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd, Shai Hope (c & wk), and Johnson Charles (wk). 

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