First time Rohit Sharma won't play in T20 World Cup:Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja also retired, how Team India replaced the legendary trio?

The T20 World Cup 2026 is set to start on 7 February, and among other teams, a lot of eyeballs would be on India. Placed No. 1 in ICC T20I team rankings and boasting of both the top-ranked batter and bowler in the shortest format, India are a force to be reckoned with. But the upcoming T20 World Cup would see India enter a bit of an unfamiliar territory. This would be the first time that India won't have either Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli at a T20 World Cup! 'Ro-Ko', as they are jointly referred to, have been integral parts of India's team in the shortest format for well over a decade before calling it quits in 2024. No Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli at T20 World Cup 2026 for India Virat and Rohit have been a formidable duo for India at the top of the order in white-ball cricket and they have attained a lot of success at the T20 World Cup as well. And both the superstars ended their stellar T20I careers after winning the T20 World Cup title in 2024-India's first in 17 years. Rohit has been part of all of India's T20 World Cup campaigns so far. The Hitman, as a matter of fact, has been one of just two players (the other being Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan) to have featured in every edition of the tournament. He debuted as a 20-year-old in the tournament's inaugural edition in 2007 and went on to carve a legacy that would inspire the generations to follow. With 1220 runs in 47 matches, Rohit sits second only to Virat in the list of most runs in T20 World Cups. Virat, on his part, made his T20 World Cup debut in 2012. And over the years, he went on to establish himself as an irreplaceable part of India's teams at every T20 World Cup. Virat is the highest run-scorer in T20 World Cup history, hitting 1,292 runs in 35 matches, including 12 fifties with a highest score of 89*. Virat also won two Player of the Tournament awards (2014, 2016) at the T20 World Cup, a feat that no other player has ever achieved. Also read: Abhishek Sharma two points behind his career-best ratings: Suryakumar Yadav breaks into top ten, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya also make gains How have India filled the gaps left by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli? Well, we took a look at Rohit and Virat's statistics in T20 World Cups, and they are to be bettered by any active T20I player. So, how have India managed to replace the duo? Although the absences of Rohit, Virat and Ravindra Jadeja might be notable, India have a formidable line-up ready to fire at the T20 World Cup. Under Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy, India have been unstoppable in T20Is since 2024, winning nine consecutive bilateral series. Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson Rohit's replacement at the top The Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson opening combination has emerged to be more than able replacements for Rohit Sharma's explosiveness at the top of the order. The two cricketers have achieved considerable success as a pair, hitting quick runs and dominating the opposition right from the outset, exactly what Rohit did in T20Is. Not only do Abhishek and Samson complement each other well, but the left-right combination often puts bowling plans in jeopardy. Abhishek's explosiveness, coupled with Samson's stylish aggression have been a successful recipe for India's wins in T20Is. India also have the luxury of replacing Samson with Ishan Kishan as Abhishek's opening partner should the former be out of form. Tilak Varma has stepped up as Virat Kohli's successor at number three For a long time, there was a debate over who could be a perfect successor to Virat at number three in T20Is. And India seemed to have found an answer in Tilak Varma. Virat, not the most explosive of batters, always soaked up pressure at number three and steered India home, especially in the most difficult of chases. And Tilak has managed to do that job perfectly. Take the Asia Cup final, for example. India had lost early wickets and needed someone to anchor a chase in a high-pressure final against Pakistan. And Tilak stepped up. The southpaw absorbed pressure, rotated strike and accelerated when it was needed, to guide India to a famous victory. Tilak also played a similar knock against England in a run-chase in Chennai last year.Here as well, India have the option of having Kishan as an alternative option for number three in Tilak's absence. Also read: 'Sachin Tendulkar said Virat Kohli can break his records': BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla revisits conversation with Master Blaster-WATCH Ravindra Jadeja also retired after T20 WC 2024, Axar Patel is like-for-like replacement With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, India's star all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja, also retired from the T20I format after winning the T20 World Cup 2024 together in Barbados. In Jaddu's absence, , Axar Patel is being considered as a like-for-like replacement for the upcoming T20 WC in 2026. India's T20 World Cup squad Players like Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy have emerged as the best in T20Is in the world and thus, despite the absence of the stalwarts, India are one of the hot favourites to win a record third T20 World Cup title, a feat that no other team has achieved so far. India are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, USA, Namibia and the Netherlands. Suryakumar Yadav and his men start their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA on 7 February before locking horns against arch-rivals Pakistan in the second group stage game on 15 February, in Colombo.