India's T20 World Cup 2026 Squad Updates: Ishan Kishan finally made his return to the Indian team as he was included in the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, which was announced on Saturday in the presence of skipper Suryakumar Yadav. His inclusion comes after a remarkable show in domestic cricket.
Kishan had a memorable campaign in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, leading his team Jharkhand to the maiden title win. He was the top run-getter in the tournament with 517 runs to his name in 10 matches at a strike rate of 197. This included 101(49) in the final as his team beat Haryana. While Kishan's selection came at the cost of the former vice-captain and his friend Shubman Gill's exclusion, it can't be argued that Kishan made a case for himself based on merit.
Speaking about Kishan’s selection, Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube channel said, "Cricket has given Ishan Kishan a gift. People on the outside can have a guess about whether it was fair, unfair, and all that, but life comes back in a circle. The reason Ishan (Kishan) was not on the side, and why he is in the team now, is because of one thing: he gave cricket the respect it deserves."
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Ashwin went on to mention that Kishan didn't see any level of domestic cricket as below him and even played in the Buchi Babu tournament while understanding that the only way to enter the reckoning again was to produce consistent and impactful performances.
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"In first class, he even came to play in the Buchi Babu Invitational. A player like Ishan Kishan came in to play the Buchi Babu tournament in Chennai for Jharkhand,” said Ashwin. “From there, he was there for Jharkhand in their preparation for the Ranji Trophy, where he was number one. And in first-class cricket, he came in and scored runs. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he led Jharkhand and even performed well. It is because of this."
Recalling Kishan's removal from the India setup and central contract due to a request for time off in 2023, Ashwin said that it was just the quality and weight of the star batter's performances that gave the selectors no choice but to consider him for the squad.
"It is not about Ishan Kishan the person; it is about Ishan Kishan the cricketer who went through the yards of the game, respected the game, and hence succeeded," concluded Ashwin.
Suryakumar will continue to lead the Indian team, whereas Axar Patel was named the vice-captain, with Shubman Gill getting dropped from the side amid his disappointing performances.