West Indies T20 World Cup squad revealed: Shai Hope to lead, Evin Lewis dropped

West Indies squad for T20 World Cup 2026 announced [Source: @windiescricket/x]

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced a strong 15-player West Indies squad for the upcoming 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next month. Regular skipper Shai Hope will be making his return to the national side after missing the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan last week in the UAE.

The likes of Roston Chase, Akeal Hosein and Sherfane Rutherford will also be making their respective returns to the West Indies team for the showpiece event after plying their trades in South Africa in the SA20 2025-26 season.

West Indies assemble strong squad for T20 World Cup 2026

On Monday, January 26, i.e., roughly a couple of weeks prior to the launch of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, CWI has announced a 15-player West Indies squad for the tournament.

Star fast bowler Shamar Joseph, who recently made his return to the West Indies team after recovering from injury, retained his place in the squad despite picking up just one wicket in the T20I series against Afghanistan earlier this month.

Fellow comeback man Evin Lewis, however, has been dropped from the West Indies group following his flop show in the UAE against Afghanistan. In his two innings with the bat in Dubai, Lewis managed to punch out scores of just 4 and 13 as West Indies lost the three-match series 1-2.

Captain Shai Hope, Test skipper Roston Chase, ace spinner Akeal Hosein and all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford are all making their respective returns to the West Indies team for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup. It is worth noting that the aforementioned four cricketers were all excluded from the Afghanistan T20I series in the UAE owing to their SA20 2025-26 commitments in South Africa.

The West Indies team for the T20 showpiece event in India and Sri Lanka also comprises of the likes of seasoned all-rounder Jason Holder, explosive top-order batter Brandon King, Shimron Hetmyer among others. Here is look at the entire 15-player West Indies squad for the tournament.

West Indies squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2026

Shai Hope (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Jayden Seales and Romario Shepherd.

West Indies on a trail of Afghanistan, New Zealand defeats

In the lead-up to the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, the West Indies team lost its three-match series to Afghanistan in the UAE by a 1-2 margin earlier this month.

Even in their preceding T20I assignment back in November last year against New Zealand away from home, West Indies lost the five-match series 1-3. The men from the Caribbean will now look to arrest their slide and rediscover winning momentum ahead of the T20 World Cup.