The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has signaled a bold new era for their white-ball cricket, naming Harry Brook as the captain of a fresh-look provisional 15-man squad for the T20I World Cup 2026. This leadership transition marks a significant shift as England prepares to reclaim global dominance in the shortest format across India and Sri Lanka.
The most striking inclusion in the squad is Test seamer Josh Tongue, who has earned a maiden T20I call-up. Following his heroics in the recent Ashes series, the selectors believe Tongue’s pace and bounce will be vital on sub-continental tracks.
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While he will feature in both the preceding Sri Lanka series and the World Cup, the same cannot be said for Jofra Archer.
Archer has been included in the provisional World Cup squad, but he will miss the Sri Lanka T20Is to continue his rehabilitation from a side strain sustained during the Ashes. In his absence, Brydon Carse will join the ranks for the Sri Lankan tour only.
The selection committee has made several ruthless calls. Despite fetching a staggering INR 13 crore bid from Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 auction, Liam Livingstone has been ignored for the World Cup roster.
Joining him on the sidelines are Jordan Cox and Jamie Smith. Smith’s omission is particularly notable given his presence in the Test setup; however, his lack of recent white-ball game time—having last played a T20I in June—cost him his spot.
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In the ODI circuit, there is a lifeline for Zak Crawley, who finds himself back in contention for the format for the first time since December 2023.
England’s intensive preparation begins in Sri Lanka with three ODIs (Jan 22–27) and three T20Is (Jan 30–Feb 3). The ultimate quest for glory then moves to Mumbai, where Harry Brook will lead his side in their World Cup opener against Nepal on February 8.
England T20 World Cup Squad:
Harry Brook (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood.