New Delhi: Ishan Kishan was nowhere near India’s T20I setup in the run-up to the T20 World Cup 2026. Having spent over two years on the sidelines since being dropped from the team for disciplinary reasons following the Australia series in 2023, Kishan was toiling hard in the domestic circuit. He set the stage on fire in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, but a national call-up still felt like a distant dream.
However, the left-hander’s sensational show in SMAT made it hard for him to ignore. The selectors and the Indian team management decided to give the left-hander a chance after he finished as the highest run-getter in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 517 runs in 10 innings at an average of 57.44 and an impressive strike rate of 197.32 for Jharkhand.
Kishan slammed a ton in the final against Haryana to power Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushatq Ali title. He was eventually preferred over Jitesh Sharma in India’s T20I squad for the New Zealand series and the T20 World Cup 2026. The decision proved to be a masterstroke as Kishan set the ball rolling from the word go and went on to play a key role in India’s memorable triumph in the tournament.
Kishan showcased a glimpse of his rich vein of form in the T20I series against New Zealand, which was India’s final assignment before the T20 World Cup. He continued his spectacular run in the T20 World Cup, where he initially opened the innings with Abhishek Sharma before taking the no.3 spot after Sanju Samson’s return to the top.
Why Ishan Kishan over Jitesh Sharma?
Kishan’s selection in the T20 World Cup 2026 squad was on merit, but it surprised many as Jitesh had done little wrong in his role as a finisher for the team. At the time, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said Kishan’s performances in the domestic circuit made him hard to ignore and that India wanted a top-order wicket-keeper batter as a back-up for openers Samson and Abhishek Sharma.
After Kishan’s heroics in the T20 World Cup 2026, India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav opened up on the decision to pick the left-hander over Jitesh. Suryakumar revealed that both gut feeling and data played a role in Kishan’s selection in the T20 World Cup 2026 squad, a decision that turned out to be a masterstroke.
“It (Ishan’s selection) was completely on gut and a little bit on data as well, because it was very harsh on Jitesh Sharma at that time because he was with the team for the last 1-1.5 years and he was playing as well. It’s not like he was not playing. If he was not playing, the story would have been different. I was very sad when we had to pick Ishan over Jitesh. But then if we had to bring some firepower in the top, if we had to do the openers left-right or if we had to pick the top two wicketkeepers, someone had to miss out,” Suryakumar told PTI in an interview.
The Indian captain also shared details of the conversation he has with Kishan before the T20 World Cup squad was announced. Suryakumar revealed Kishan had assured him that if given a chance, he will win the T20 World Cup for India.
“So, I just called him (Ishan) and asked, ‘Chotu World Cup jitayega? (Will you win the World Cup?), so he just told me, ‘Bass bharosa kar ke dekhiye (just trust me).’ I said, ‘Chal kiya bharosa’ (okay, I trust you), and the way he played – it was amazing,” Suryakumar said.
Kishan played an instrumental role in India’s title-winning run in the T20 World Cup 2026. The left-hander smashed 317 runs in nine matches in the tournament at an average of 35.22 and a brilliant strike rate of 193.29, including three fifties.
Kishan finished as the second-highest run-getter for India in the tournament, only behind Player of the Tournament Sanju Samson, who scored 321 runs in just five innings. Kishan was the fourth-highest run-getter of the tournament, overall. He played some impactful knocks in the tournament, including a stunning 77-run knock against Pakistan and a quickfire 54 in the final against New Zealand.
Suryakumar Yadav praises Ishan Kishan’s grind
Skipper Suryakumar lauded Kishan for his hard work and dedication, highlighting his domestic grind when he was not part of the Indian team. The Indian captain revealed how Kishan played as many tournaments as possible across all parts of the country to improve his game and build his confidence. Suryakumar said Kishan deserved the spot completely after the way he performed for India in the T20 World Cup.
“I mean, the way he started from the bilaterals (five-match T20I series against New Zealand), I always knew that he was bringing an X-factor to the side because he had no baggage. When he went out of the team 1-1.5 years ago, he went back home; I think he must have sat, analysed what had happened to him, and gone on to play domestic cricket,” said Suryakumar.
“He told me his entire journey, where all he went to play; he played practice matches in every corner of India. And then the way he played domestic cricket, he performed in the IPL; I think he deserved that spot completely,” he added.