After more than two years away from the India national cricket team, Ishan Kishan made a spectacular comeback and is now in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Ishan Kishan returned to the Indian team after a strong performance for Jharkhand in domestic cricket.
The aggressive wicketkeeper-batsman’s explosive batting forced the national selectors to take the bold decision of bringing Kishan back into the team ahead of Jitesh Sharma, which raised many eyebrows. Jitesh was part of India’s T20I plans, and he was even a part of the Asia Cup 2025 victorious team.
Suryakumar Yadav supported Ishan Kishan’s instincts on Jitesh Sharma’s selection decision.
But India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav backed his instincts and backed Kishan’s selection for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand and the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
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Suryakumar Yadav was quoted by PTI as saying, “It (Ishan’s selection) was completely on conscience and also a little bit of data 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 also playing. It is not that he was not playing. Had he not been playing, the story would have been different. I was very sad when we had to pick Ishan instead of Jitesh. But then if we had to bring some firepower, then the top In this, if we have to choose the openers left-right, or if we have to pick the top two wicketkeepers, someone has to miss out.
Sharing how he broke the news to Ishan Kishan, the captain said, “So, I called him (Ishan) and asked, ‘Chhotu Vishwa Cup Jeetega? (Will you win the World Cup?), then he told me, ‘Bas bharosa kar ke dekhiye (Just trust me).’ I said, “Chal kiya bharosa” (Okay, I trust you), and the way he played – it was amazing.
Ishan Kishan’s comeback story
Talking about his comeback story, the left-handed batsman went back to domestic cricket and started rebuilding his game. He traveled across the country, played many domestic tournaments and practice matches and improved his batting and confidence.
During the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy season, Kishan looked like a completely different player. His fearless approach at the top of the order surprised everyone and caught the attention of the Indian team management. The selectors were looking for a batsman who could provide explosive starts in T20Is, especially with a left-right combination at the top.
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Kishan’s aggressive style and ability to face fast bowlers as well as spinners made him an exciting option. This decision was not easy as Jitesh Sharma had been a part of the Indian team for a long time and had shown some good performances.
Ishan Kishan ‘deserved’ India place
But the team management felt that Kishan could bring a different energy to the team and they went with him and got full benefits from it.
Suryakumar believed that Kishan could add a significant X-factor to the lineup, as his former Mumbai Indians teammate had nothing to lose after spending so much time away from the Indian team. The captain also stressed that Ishan was “fully deserving” of that spot in the team.