As ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 gets underway in India and Sri Lanka, several teams have been forced to overhaul their squads due to a string of high-profile injuries. From veteran pace icons to rising stars, the “ruled out” list has grown in the weeks leading up to the tournament.
Official List: Players Ruled Out
The following players have been officially withdrawn from their respective 15-man squads and replaced (where applicable):
Harshit Rana (India): Knee injury (lateral meniscus) – Replacement: Mohammed Siraj
Josh Hazlewood (Australia): Hamstring injury – Replacement: None named (Sean Abbott on standby)
Pat Cummins (Australia): Back issue (lumbar stress) – Replacement: Ben Dwarshuis
Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan): Shoulder injury (stress fracture) – Replacement: Allah Ghazanfar
Adam Milne (New Zealand): Hamstring injury – Replacement: Kyle Jamieson
Donovan Ferreira (South Africa): Shoulder injury – Replacement: Ryan Rickelton
Tony de Zorzi (South Africa): Hamstring injury – Replacement: Tristan Stubbs
Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand): Calf injury – Replacement: Ben Sears
Major Absences & “Big Three” Crisis
Australia’s Pace Vacuum: For the first time in over a decade, Australia is competing without its famed trio of Starc, Cummins, and Hazlewood. Starc retired from T20Is in 2025, but late withdrawals of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood (who was initially hoped to be fit for Super Eights) have left Xavier Bartlett to lead a “new-look” attack.
India’s Last-Minute Blow: Harshit Rana was expected to be the “X-factor” after a stellar domestic season. His knee injury during the South Africa warm-up led to the emergency recall of Mohammed Siraj, who had been omitted from the initial 15.
Afghanistan’s Spearhead: The loss of Naveen-ul-Haq is a massive blow to Afghanistan’s death-bowling plans, forcing them to rely more heavily on their world-class spin department.
“Under Observation” List (Doubtful)
Washington Sundar (India): Recovering from a side strain. He missed the opener vs. USA and is currently undergoing final fitness tests at the Centre of Excellence.
Jasprit Bumrah (India): While not ruled out of the tournament, he missed the opening match against the USA due to a viral fever.
Nathan Ellis (Australia): Recovering from a hamstring issue; he is in Sri Lanka but remains a game-time decision for the first match against Ireland.
Alzarri Joseph (West Indies): Being managed carefully due to a recurring lower-back issue; he did not feature in the warm-up against Afghanistan.
