Ranjane In Line For T20I Debut As USA Announces Squad For 2026 Men’s T20 WC

Ranjane in line for T20I debut as USA announces squad for 2026 Men’s T20 WC (Image Source: IANS)

The International Cricket Council: Shubham Ranjane, who previously played for Mumbai in the Indian domestic cricket circuit, is in line for a T20I debut after being named in the 15-member squad of the United States of America (USA) for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, starting in Sri Lanka and India on February 7.

USA have been placed in Group A, where they will face Pakistan, Namibia, the Netherlands, and defending champions India. As part of their build-up to the World Cup, the USA has held an extended training camp in Sri Lanka to acclimatise to subcontinental conditions.

The sessions have centred on sharpening skills, improving game awareness and strengthening team cohesion. USA will start their campaign on against India in Mumbai on February 7. “Our training in Sri Lanka pushed this team to new heights. We hit every target and that’s a testament to the players’ dedication and hard work.

“The World Cup squad is strong, balanced, and ready to dominate in every department. We’ll make those final adjustments before heading to Mumbai, and we’re fully confident in our team’s potential,” said head coach Pubudu Dassanayake in an ICC statement on Friday.

Ten of the fifteen players played for USA in the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, while Ranjane will be seeking to make his international debut in the shortest format after having played four ODIs for the side. Apart from him, Mohammad Mohsin and Shehan Jayasuriya will be seeking to make their international debut for USA.

It will be USA’s second appearance at the tournament, after having stunned 2009 champions Pakistan during their maiden campaign in 2024 on home soil before advancing to the Super 8 stage in the West Indies. The Monank Patel-led side will be aiming to build on that breakthrough performance and make another impact on the global stage through the upcoming mega event.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board previously suspended USA Cricket on September 23 last year, citing serious breaches of membership criteria. In its ruling, the Board said national team players would not be penalised by the organisation’s governance and financial turmoil, confirming that U.S. teams would continue to feature in ICC events under interim coordination by the global body.

With USA Cricket under suspension and having filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the ICC said it worked with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to establish a new selection process. The move, the ICC added, was aimed at ensuring transparency and a merit-based system to identify the best eligible players to represent the USA side in the mega event.

“All Members of the selection panel submitted Conflict of Interest forms to the USOPC ahead of the meeting and the selection meeting was observed by a USOPC appointed Compliance Officer to ensure adherence to the Cricket Selection Procedures,” further said the ICC.

With USA Cricket under suspension and having filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the ICC said it worked with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to establish a new selection process. The move, the ICC added, was aimed at ensuring transparency and a merit-based system to identify the best eligible players to represent the USA side in the mega event.

USA squad: Monank Patel (captain), Jessy Singh (vice-captain), 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

Article Source: IANS