Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar Clarifies Why Ishan Kishan Is Included In T20 World Cup Squad: 'We Felt A Keeper At The Top...'

Ishan Kishan has returned to the India squad as the BCCI named a 15-member contingent for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Both Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma have been dropped, while Kishan has been rewarded for his solid display in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

The southpaw led Jharkhand to their maiden SMAT title with an explosive century and emerged as a contender for the T20 World Cup. He wasn't reckoning on a long period, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar insisted Ishan's form has earned him a spot in the squad.

“He bats at the top in white-ball cricket, and he’s been in good form. He played before for India. He wasn't in the Indian team because there is a Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant ahead of him. We felt a keeper at the top gives us more solidity."

Ishan ended up being the highest scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 571 runs, and he hasn't played for India since featuring against Australia in a T20I in Guwahati in 2023. Ishan is the second wicket-keeper as Sanju Samson will be the preferred choice behind the wicket. The Indian keeper gave his first reaction after he has been picked in the T20 World Cup. He told ANI, “ It feels good to be picked in the squad. I'm very very happy.”

Also Read: Ajit Agarkar Explains Rationale Behind Shubman Gill's Omission From India's T20 World Cup 2026 Squad: 'Short Of A Little Bit Of Runs'

India Squad For T20 World Cup

Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Axar Patel (vice-captain), Arshdeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.

Also Read: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli Confirm Availability For Vijay Hazare Trophy Matches But Will Feature In Two Games, Here's Why