ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Cricket may be a team sport, but results in T20Is are often decided by moments of individual brilliance. A tight spell at the death, a blazing cameo in the powerplay, and an inspired piece of fielding are examples of moments that can swing the momentum of a game.
Having your best players available for a showpiece event such as the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 can be pivotal to a team's fortunes. With a growing list of high-profile absentees sidelined by injury, several teams have been forced into late reworks of their plans. Here is a list of the players who have been ruled out of the Men's T20 World Cup so far.
India:
Harshit Rana: The Indian fast bowler who was being groomed as an all-rounder for the marquee tournament had only just begun to impose himself on the international stage when he limped off during the warm-up match against South Africa. While captain Suryakumar Yadav remained coy on the extent of the injury, he did admit that it “does not look good”, with multiple reports suggesting Rana is ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury.
Possible replacements: The setback could be a major blow for Team India's title defence; however, they do have a wealth of options to choose from to step into that role.
Mohammed Siraj: If the Men in Blue opt for experience, then Siraj, who was a key member of the 2024 title-winning side, becomes the obvious choice. Known for his big-match temperament and ability to swing the new ball while also dishing out yorkers at the death, Siraj would be a certain value addition to this squad.
Prasidh Krishna: The pacer starred in the latest edition of the IPL for his franchise Gujarat Titans, finishing as the highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 25 scalps. Krishna's ability to generate high pace and lethal bounce could prove handy to unsettle batters. He also boasts a handy return of eight wickets in five T20Is for India and could be a like-for-like replacement.
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Australia:
Josh Hazlewood: Cricket Australia confirmed on February 6 that Josh Hazlewood would not be available for the World Cup as he continues his rehabilitation programme since suffering a hamstring injury in the Sheffield Shield on November 12. While the team initially hoped Hazlewood would make it in time for the super eight stage of the tournament, the latest assessments deemed it too risky to rush him back.
Pat Cummins: Another big name missing from the Australian bowling line-up is Pat Cummins, who will sit out the T20 World Cup campaign as he continues to recover from a niggling back injury that has plagued him for around six months. The absences of Hazlewood and Cummins, along with the retirement of Mitchell Starc means that it will be the first time that Australia will go into a World Cup without one of their big three since 2011.
Possible Replacements: While Ben Dwarshuis, the left-arm quick, has been officially named as Pat Cummins' replacement, there has been no replacement named yet for Josh Hazlewood. Dwarshuis brings some variety into the attack as he adds a left-arm option and is also handy with the bat and a strong fielder.
Regarding a replacement for Hazlewood, Australia's national selector Tony Dodemaide said, " We will not be naming a replacement player immediately. We feel we are well covered for the initial games so will make any later decisions based on priority need at the time."
As it stands, only right-arm swing bowler Xavier Bartlett and Dwarshuis are the two fully-fit fast bowling options available to Australia. Sean Abbott is travelling with the team as a reserve player and could be named as a replacement for Hazlewood.
South Africa | Donovan Ferreira & Tony de Zorzi: Last edition's runners-up suffered a double-blow in the lead-up to the tournament, with both Donovan Ferreira and Tony de Zorzi ruled out of the marquee tournament. Ferreira suffered an injury to his left clavicle during the SA2,0 while de Zorzi continues his rehab from a tear in his right hamstring.
Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs have been named as replacements for the injured duo as they come in to bolster the batting lineup.
New Zealand | Adam Milne: A hamstring injury suffered when playing for Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the recently concluded season of the SA20 means that Milne was ruled out of the World Cup squad.
The Kiwis have already named Kyle Jamieson as his replacement. The imposing pacer picked up his career best ODI figures of 4/41 during their recent tour to India, which will bode well for the team.
Afghanistan | Naveen-ul-Haq: The Afgan pacer suffered a stress fracture in his right shoulder and had to undergo surgery, which has ruled him out of the tournament. With 67 wickets from 48 T20Is, Naveen-ul-Haq will be a big miss for the Afghan Atalans, who have drafted in Zia-ur-Rahman Sharifi as his replacement.
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