The UAE and the United States have officially announced their 15-member squads for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, set to begin next month in India and Sri Lanka, with both teams eyeing strong campaigns on the global stage.
The UAE will be led by star batter Muhammad Waseem, who has been named captain of the 15-member squad for the marquee event.
The Asian side secured qualification for the 20-team tournament after defeating Japan in their Super Six clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia & EAP Qualifier held in Oman.
UAE squad and coaching staff
The UAE squad includes Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Mayank Kumar, Muhammad Arfan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rohid Khan, Sohaib Khan, and Simranjeet Singh.
Former India international Lalchand Rajput will serve as head coach, with former Pakistan all-rounder Yasir Arafat joining as fast bowling coach, while Zimbabwe’s Stanley Chioza will oversee fielding duties.
View this post on Instagram
The UAE have previously featured twice in the T20 World Cup, exiting at the group stage in 2014 and 2022.
Ahead of the tournament, they will play a two-match T20I series against Ireland, followed by warm-up matches against Nepal on February 3 and Italy on February 6. Their World Cup campaign begins against New Zealand on February 10 in Chennai, with Group D fixtures also including Canada, Afghanistan, and South Africa.
USA announce squad
The United States cricket team have announced their 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, marking their second appearance at the tournament.
USA made headlines on debut in the 2024 edition by defeating Pakistan and advancing to the Super 8 stage, a historic achievement for American cricket.
Despite the suspension of USA Cricket by the ICC on September 23 due to governance and financial breaches, the ICC ensured national team players were not penalized.
A new selection process was developed in coordination with the International Cricket Council and the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee, with compliance oversight to ensure transparency and merit-based selection.
USA squad, leadership, debutants
Led by captain Monank Patel and vice-captain Jessy Singh, the squad includes Andries Gous, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milind Kumar, Shayan Jahangir, Saiteja Mukkamala, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Harmeet Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan, Mohammad Mohsin, and Shubham Ranjane.
Shubham Ranjane is set to make his T20I debut, while Mohammad Mohsin and Shehan Jayasuriya are in line for their international debuts.
As part of preparations, Team USA spent several weeks training in Sri Lanka to adapt to subcontinental conditions, focusing on skill development, game awareness, and team bonding.
Placed in Group A, USA will face India, Pakistan, Namibia, and the Netherlands. Their group-stage fixtures begin against India on February 7 in Mumbai, followed by matches against Pakistan in Colombo, the Netherlands in Chennai, and Namibia in Chennai.
Head coach Pubudu Dassanayake expressed strong confidence in the squad, stating the team’s Sri Lanka training camp pushed players to “new heights” and described the group as balanced and ready to compete in all departments.
