When BCCI announced Team India for the 2026 T20 World Cup, everyone was shocked. Shubman Gill was not in the squad, who had been the vice-captain of the T20 team for the last several months. Gill’s T20 form was not very good, but another player has been dropped from the team despite batting strongly. Here we are talking about Jitesh Sharma, whose T20 strike rate this year has been around 159.
Showed his ability in just 39 balls
Jitesh Sharma had returned to the playing eleven of Team India on the Australian tour this year. He was played as wicketkeeper in the Australia tour and then in the T20 series against South Africa, while Sanju Samson remained sitting outside.
In the last 2 T20 series, Jitesh Sharma came to bat five times, in which he faced 39 balls and scored a total of 62 runs. During this period his strike rate was around 159. These figures may seem very simple, but in these five innings, Jitesh made everyone aware of his ability by batting at the sixth, seventh and eighth positions.
Jitesh showed that he can not only handle the responsibility of being a middle order batsman but can also play the role of a finisher by batting in the lower order. Jitesh’s wicketkeeping skills have also been excellent, hence it was expected that he would be selected in the World Cup squad, but in reality he has not got a place in the squad.
Who got the role of wicketkeeper?
Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan have been selected for the role of wicketkeeper in the Indian squad for T20 World Cup 2026. There are high chances that Sanju Samson can be given priority in the playing eleven, while Kishan has got a place in the squad as a backup wicketkeeper.
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