Team India scripted history by clinching the T20 World Cup 2026 on March 8 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
One of the heroes for the “Men in Blue” was wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan. Having played nine matches, the left-handed batsman scored 317 runs.
Speaking about his selection, Team India`s captain Suryakumar Yadav said that Kishan`s inclusion was completely on gut and the captain also expressed disappointment with Jitesh Sharma`s snub.
“It was completely on gut, little bit on data. It (the decision) was very harsh on Jitesh Sharma at that time because he was playing with the team for over an year. And he was playing, had he not been playing then the story would have been different,” he said.
“I was also very sad when we had to pick Ishan over Jitesh. But we needed an opener who could fire at the top, so someone had to miss out,” added Suryakumar.
Suryakumar called the 27-year-old and asked “Chhotu, World Cup jitayega?” (Will you get us the World Cup?). Kishan responded, “Bharosa karogey?” (Do you trust me?) to which Suryakumar said “Chal kiya” (Done).
“And the way he played was amazing … I always knew that he can be the X-factor because he has no baggage,” he recalled.
In the title clash, the “Men in Blue” defeated New Zealand by 96 runs. India became the first team to win two consecutive global titles in the shortest format. The “Men in Blue” also became the first team to win three T20 World Cups in the history of the tournament.
IPL 2026: Tournament-opening match`s date and venue
After the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2026, most of the international players will gear up to participate in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The cash-rich league is all set to kick off from March 28. The first match is scheduled to be played between the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Earlier, the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Secretary, Santosh Menon, confirmed that the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will host five of the RCB`s IPL 2026 home games. The venue will also host one of the play-off matches and the title clash of the tournament.
Bengaluru`s remaining two home matches will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
(With PTI Inputs)
