Canada has made a surprising announcement regarding the inclusion of the ex-spinner of Punjab Kings (PBKS) Ansh Patel in their T20 World Cup 2026 team. Thus, they have turned out to be the 14th side to disclose their line-up for the mega cricketing event that is set to be held in India and Sri Lanka next month.
Canada team combined youth and experience, among them the first names to catch the eye were Ansh Patel varsity, who has played for Baroda before moving to a different country.
He was bought by Punjab Kings for INR 20 lakhs at the IPL 2022 auction but didn’t get to play any matches and consequently was released before the next season. He is a left-arm chinaman spinner and thus will add a different aspect and variety to the Canadian side.
Ansh got his first call from Canada last year and he played in two ODIs and five T20Is. In T20Is, he has five wickets at 7 runs apiece in four innings, which includes a best of 2/7.
His wicket-taking ability has been a notable feature in his short career, which is also the biggest reason for his selection in Canada’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad. Having worked with Punjab Kings and played domestic cricket in India, Ansh has some knowledge about subcontinent pitches and brings a genuine wicket-taking option in the middle overs.
Canada T20 World Cup 2026 participation aim to make an impact
Canada will be present at the T20 World Cup for the second time in a row, since the 2024 edition was their tournament debut. They won all six matches in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Regional Final, thus topping the table and entering the T20 World Cup 2026.
During the prior tournament, Canada was ranked fourth, with one win and two losses over three matches. The Canadians beat the Irish to clinch their first victory in the contest, however they could not overcome USA and Pakistan.
Now, Canada is in group D containing Afghanistan, New Zealand, South Africa, and UAE. February 9 is the date for their first match in Ahmedabad against South Africa, which is a very difficult game for them.
Canada squad for T20 World Cup 2026
Dilpreet Bajwa (c), Ajayveer Hundal, Ansh Patel, Dilon Heyliger, Harsh Thaker, Jaskarandeep Buttar, Kaleem Sana, Kanwarpal Tathgur, Navneet Dhaliwal, Nicholas Kirton, Ravinderpal Singh, Saad Bin Zafar, Shivam Sharma, Shreyas Movva, Yuvraj Samra.