Team India’s selection committee, led by chief selector Ajit Agarkar, clarified the thinking behind leaving out wicket-keeper batter Jitesh Sharma from the T20 World Cup 2026 squad. Despite Jitesh delivering consistent performances in recent matches, the BCCI named Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan as the two specialist wicket-keeping options in the 15-member squad, a decision that raised several questions among fans and experts alike.
Selection Strategy And The Wicket-Keeper Role
The announcement of the squad came with a few surprises, as both Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma were excluded despite being regular members of the setup in recent months. While Gill had endured a lean patch with the bat across the last few bilateral series, Jitesh had impressed after returning to the national side following a long gap.
He featured in India’s last seven T20Is and played impactful cameos from the lower middle order, scoring 62 runs from just 39 balls at a healthy strike rate of nearly 159. However, the selectors felt that team balance and role clarity mattered more than individual numbers at this stage of preparation.
Why Ishan Kishan Got The Nod
Ajit Agarkar highlighted that India’s strategy for the tournament revolves around having a wicket-keeper who can bat at the top of the order. Ishan Kishan’s recent form in domestic cricket strengthened his case, as he amassed 517 runs while opening for Jharkhand at a staggering strike rate of 197.32, including a match-winning century in the final.
Explaining the decision, Agarkar said, “Ishan Kishan bats at the top in white-ball cricket, he has been in good form, he has played for India before, he has a ODI double hundred. He was not in the Indian team because Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel were there, nothing to do with anything else. We felt that he is the best candidate at this point.” He further added, “If your keeper is going to bat at the top, our thought was to have another keeper just in case there is a problem. At the moment, Jitesh was there, again, has not done too much wrong.”
Team Combination And Past Setbacks For Jitesh
The presence of Rinku Singh as a designated finisher also reduced the need for an additional lower-order wicket-keeper, which ultimately worked against Jitesh Sharma. Notably, this is not the first time he has missed out on a World Cup squad, having been overlooked for the 2024 edition as well despite being a frontrunner during the buildup.
Meanwhile, skipper Suryakumar Yadav echoed similar thoughts on team combinations, stating, “We are happy with what we have right now, and we already have 2-3 combinations ready with this squad.” He also downplayed the importance of batting combinations, saying, “We are not looking for the left-right combination now… So, it is actually a little overrated, that is what we feel.” India will begin their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium on February 7.
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