T20 World Cup 2026: 5 Players who might not play next World Cup

The T20 World Cup 2026, which was jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, proved to be a roaring success. Matches in both Sri Lanka and India were competitive, with very few one-sided wins. Sri Lanka provided more support to the bowlers, and so did a couple of venues in India as well.

There were lots of players who had vast experience in the T20 format and were expected to do a lot more than they achieved in the T20 World Cup 2026. With the T20 format moving into supersonic speed with the bat and the ball, the next T20 World Cup, to be played in Australia and New Zealand in 2028, might not see some of the veterans in action.

Let’s check out the five players who probably played their final T20 World Cup in 2026.

5 Players Who Might Not Play in the Next World Cup

5. Glenn Maxwell

A veteran of 130 T20Is, Glenn Maxwell’s batting was suited for the T20 format, and he scored 2897 runs with 5 centuries and 12 fifties, at a strike rate of 154.42. He holds the record for most centuries in the format. However, the previous 2 years have not been kind to Maxwell, with injuries and form hampering him.

In the recent T20 World Cup, Maxwell conjured just 62 runs in 4 innings with a strike rate of 110.71. He found it difficult to strike on spin-friendly pitches in Sri Lanka and was a lost cause for the team. He will be over 39 years old when the 2028 T20 World Cup begins, and Australia might look towards young guns by then, leaving Maxwell out of contention.

4. Paul Stirling

35-year-old Paul Stirling has been a star in T20Is from associate nations. He has scored 3895 runs in 163 T20Is for Ireland with one ton and 25 fifties with a strike rate of 134.35. A brilliant and aggressive opener, Stirling stood tall with some of the biggest names in the T20I format.

He was captain of the Ireland team in the T20 World Cup 2026, and a knee injury ended his tournament after 2 games, where he scored 7 runs. Stirling came into the tournament battling form and fitness issues, and he will be 37 and over when the 2028 T20 World Cup rolls in. Ireland will want a fresh face up in the order, and Stirling might not play the next edition of the tournament.

3. Mohammad Nabi

While Rashid Khan might be the most popular Afghanistan cricketer, Mohammad Nabi has stood tall and seen his team battling to gain respect from minnows to genuine title contenders. Nabi, who made his international debut in 2009, has made 2448 runs and taken 109 wickets in 152 T20Is.

41-year-old Nabi remains an inspiration for all Afghanistan players, but after his team failed to qualify for the Super 8s this edition, the Afghan selectors might want to move toward younger players. With the 2028 T20 World Cup being hosted in Australia and New Zealand, Nabi will be more than 43 years old, and with pitches not suiting his bowling, he might not play that tournament.

2. Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler, captain of the 2022 T20 World Cup-winning England team, stepped down as the captain 18 months ago to let Harry Brook take over. However, he remained a formidable force with the bat at the top. However, he struggled for runs in the T20 World Cup 2026, scoring 87 runs in 8 games.

Buttler, who had 4037 runs with one century and 28 fifties in 155 T20Is, showed signs of not being up to the modern standards of the game. He will be around 38 years of age in 2028, and England might have moved on from him by then, given his poor form in the format.  

1. Suryakumar Yadav

Suryakumar Yadav has done well as a captain in the T20 World Cup 2026, taking India to the final of the tournament. With the bat, he has done decently, scoring 242 runs with a strike rate of 137.50 with one fifty. His contributions have been below par to what he is used to doing for India.

Suryakumar Yadav’s inconsistency has been covered by the brilliance of other batters, especially his failure to come good in crucial moments. He had a poor 2025 with the bat in T20Is, and while he showed signs of returning to form in 2026, the same bad luck has followed him in the tournament. He will also be almost 38 years old in 2028, and it remains to be seen whether he plays the T20 World Cup then.

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