The United Arab Emirates have confirmed their 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, making a couple of notable changes as they fine-tune their combination ahead of the global event. All-rounder Dhruv Parashar and opening batter Mayank Kumar have earned call-ups to the side, replacing Basil Hameed and Rahul Chopra.
The selections come in the middle of UAE’s ongoing two-match T20I series against Ireland. Hameed and Chopra, who were part of that squad, have been omitted following a disappointing outing in the opening match of the series in Dubai, where both were dismissed for single-digit scores in a defeat on Thursday. The management has backed Parashar’s all-round abilities and Kumar’s potential at the top of the order.
Muhammad Waseem will lead the side. A cornerstone of UAE’s T20 setup, Waseem is the most experienced player in the squad with 92 T20I appearances. He is also the team’s leading run-scorer in the format, underlining his importance both as a leader and a batter. Alongside Waseem, Alishan Sharafu and fast bowler Junaid Siddique are the only other players in the squad who featured in UAE’s previous T20 World Cup campaign in 2022.
UAE squad for T20 World Cup 2026: Muhammad Waseem (c), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma (wk), Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Mayank Kumar, Muhammad Arfan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rohid Khan, Sohaib Khan, Simranjeet Singh