The 2026 T20 World Cup is set to start on Saturday, February 7. This ICC tournament will have 55 matches, with the final taking place on March 8. India and Sri Lanka will host the event across eight venues, consisting of five in India and three in Sri Lanka. India enters the tournament as the reigning champion, having won the title in 2024.
A total of twenty teams will compete in the 2026 T20 World Cup, divided into four groups of five teams each. Group A will feature India and Pakistan, while Australia and Sri Lanka will lead Group B. Group C will include England and the West Indies, and Group D will consist of South Africa, New Zealand, and Afghanistan. After the group stage, the Super 8s will follow, deciding which teams move to the knockout rounds.
Several notable players will miss the 2026 T20 World Cup due to injuries and fitness issues. Below is the list of key players who won’t be participating.
Players Missing from T20 WC 2026
Josh Hazlewood (Australia)
Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will not take part in the World Cup. Although he was initially included in the squad while he tried to regain fitness, tournament officials ruled him ineligible just a day before the event. Hazlewood suffered a hamstring injury in his last Sheffield Shield match before the 2025-26 Ashes series.
No replacement has been announced for Hazlewood yet. The team may consider either veteran batsman Steve Smith or fast bowler Sean Abbott as options to fill the gap.
Pat Cummins (Australia)
Australia also lost Pat Cummins, who stepped down as Test captain. He was unable to recover fully from a long-standing back injury and didn’t make it to the final T20 squad.
Ben Dwarshuis has been added to the team as Cummins’ replacement. Dwarshuis played one Test during the 2025-26 Ashes series and took six wickets in that match.
Adam Milne (New Zealand)
New Zealand’s Adam Milne will miss the tournament due to a torn left hamstring, which he got while playing for Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 league.
Kyle Jamieson has been brought in as Milne’s replacement. Jamieson recently played in three ODIs and five T20Is during a tour in India.
Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan)
Afghanistan will also be without pacer Naveen-ul-Haq, who has a stress fracture in his right shoulder. Naveen last played for Afghanistan in December 2024 and participated in the ILT20 for MI Emirates in December 2025. Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi has been named as his replacement.
Tony de Zorzi (South Africa)
Tony de Zorzi will miss the World Cup due to an unhealed right hamstring tear from the ODI series against India in December 2025. His rehabilitation has not progressed as expected. Ryan Rickelton, who initially missed the squad, is replacing him.
Donovan Ferreira (South Africa)
South Africa’s all-rounder Donovan Ferreira is also ruled out after fracturing his left clavicle during a domestic T20 match last month. Tristan Stubbs has been selected as his replacement.
Harshit Rana (India)
Young Indian pacer Harshit Rana will not make it to the T20 World Cup due to fitness issues. He struggled during a warm-up game against South Africa, prompting him to stop his delivery stride and he appeared to hurt his knee, leaving the field after one over. Mohammed Siraj is expected to replace him in the squad.
