When the T20 World Cup begins on February 7 across venues in India and Sri Lanka, the spotlight will not fall solely on the host nation. More than three dozen players of Indian origin, spread across 20 teams, will feature in the marquee event, which could be emotional for them, given their personal histories.
Canada lead the list with 11 such cricketers, followed by the USA with nine, while Oman and the UAE each field seven. In total, over 34 Indian origin players will feature in the tournament. Now, as India attempt to defend their title at home, the tournament will also reflect how far the game has travelled through migration, opportunity and persistence.
1. Ish Sodhi and Rachin Ravindra - New Zealand
New Zealand duo of Ish Sodhi and Rachin Ravindra will be part of the T20 World Cup 2026. Sodhi was born in Ludhiana before his family shifted to New Zealand. The 33-year-old spinner has played 137 T20Is for the BlackCaps and picked 162 wickets. Rachin, on the other hand, proved to be a force to reckon with in the ODI World Cup 2023. He is an integral part of the T20I set-up right now after playing 43 matches.
2. Saurabh Netravalkar - USA
Few stories carry as much emotional weight as that of Saurabh Netravalkar. The USA left-arm pacer, born in Mumbai, is set to face India at the Wankhede Stadium, the ground where his cricketing journey first took shape. A former India Under-19 player, Netravalkar built a new life in the United States and emerged as a key figure in USA’s 2024 World Cup run, which included a shock win over Pakistan. He shared the dressing room with KL Rahul, Jaydev Unadkat and Mayank Agarwal, among many others, during U19 days.
3. Monank Patel - USA
USA will be led by Monank Patel, the Anand-born opener who also announced himself on the global stage in 2024 with a decisive half-century against Pakistan. Patel now prepares to face Jasprit Bumrah, his former Gujarat Under-19 teammate.
4. Harmeet Singh - USA
Harmeet Singh emerged early as a gifted left-arm spinner from Mumbai, earning elite coaching, youth leadership roles and Under-19 World Cup success. Despite promising domestic performances and early comparisons to Bishen Bedi, his career stalled after inconsistent opportunities and off-field scrutiny, though he was cleared. He later relocated to the United States, reviving his international prospects and earning selection in the USA squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
5. Jaspreet Singh - Italy
Italy’s World Cup debut brings Phagwara-born Jaspreet Singh into focus. Having moved near Milan in 2006, Singh rose from tape-ball cricket to international level, balancing ambition with survival, including a stint as an Uber driver, as PTI reported.
6. Aryan Dutt - Netherlands
The Netherlands will rely on off-spinner Aryan Dutt, whose family roots trace back to Punjab. At 22, he already carries experience from the 2023 ODI World Cup.
7. Dilpreet Bajwa - Canada
Canada’s Dilpreet Bajwa was born in Gurdaspur, before shifting to the North American country in 2020. He scored plenty of runs in domestic cricket in India, but failed to make a career out of it and moved to Canada in frustration. Over there, he impressed in the Canada Global T20 League and that helped him earn a spot in the national team.
8. Jatinder Singh - Oman
Ludhiana-born Jatinder Singh will lead Oman in the T20 World Cup. However, since Oman’s league matches are in Sri Lanka, his long-awaited appearance in India may remain unfulfilled.