“I wasn’t aware of my omission until the squad was announced” - Jitesh Sharma opens up on T20 WC snub

Team India keeper-batter Jitesh Sharma has opened up on his snub from the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squad. Notably, Jitesh was axed at the last minute to accommodate Ishan Kishan as the backup keeper to Sanju Samson.

Speaking exclusively to CricTracker, Jitesh made it clear that neither the selectors nor the team management had a word with him before the squad was picked. However, he had discussions with the coaches and selectors after the squad was announced, and he understood the reasoning, calling it fair.

"I wasn’t aware of my omission until the squad was announced. After that, I agreed with the explanation given by the selectors in the press conference; it was a valid reason. Later, I had discussions with the coaches and selectors, and I felt their reasoning was fair. I completely understood what they wanted to explain to me, and I agreed with it," Jitesh told CricTracker.

"It was heartbreaking, as I had worked very hard to play in the ICC T20 World Cup. But that’s destiny, I can’t deny it. At that moment, I was numb and couldn’t process anything. Spending time with my family and talking to Dinesh Karthik helped me move forward," he added.

Notably, the Indian team will enter the mega event with Sanju Samson as the primary keeper-batter. Samson is expected to open the innings with Abhishek Sharma, while Ishan Kishan made a comeback and replaced Jitesh in the squad as another option as a keeper.

India's squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.

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