The news of Jitesh Sharma left out of T20 World Cup squad was shocking news for him and the cricket fraternity. Surprisingly, the keeper-batter got to know about his snub during the official announcement of the team. In place of Sharma, Ishan Kishan made his international comeback and will serve as a backup wicketkeeper. Sanju Samson will be the primary keeper and opener for the Indian team in the marquee event. Let’s take a look at the possible reasons why the 32-year-old missed out on the T20 World Cup squad selection.
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Why Was Jitesh Sharma Overlooked for India’s T20 World Cup Squad?
Jitesh Sharma made his T20I debut during the Asian Games in 2023. After serving as the side’s first-choice keeper until January 2024, he was dropped from the side. However, the blockbuster IPL 2025 season changed fortunes for Sharma, in which he played a key role in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB’s) title victory. He garnered 261 runs at an average of 37.28 and an explosive strike rate of 176.35.
In an exclusive chat with CricTracker, Jitesh Sharma opens up about missing a spot in India’s 2026 T20 World Cup squad.
(Cricket, CricTracker, Jitesh Sharma, T20 World Cup 2026, Indian Cricket) pic.twitter.com/xPQ2CGciiM
— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) January 14, 2026
As a stand-in captain, Jitesh Sharma smashed 85* off 33 balls against Lucknow Super Giants to help RCB seal the third-highest successful run-chase of 228 in IPL history. The knock propelled him to gain fame and prove his merit as a finisher. After his return, Jitesh Sharma scored 62 runs in five innings at an average of 31 and a strike rate of 158.97, with a top score of 27. In 16 T20Is so far in his career, he has accumulated 162 runs at a strike rate of 151.40, with 35 against Australia being his best knock. He was a first-choice keeper and was preferred ahead of Sanju Samson in the XI.
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Overall, Jitesh Sharma has amassed 3163 runs from 158 matches, averaging 27.74 and a strike rate of 153.99. The Indian wicket-keeper batter has scored one century and 12 half-centuries thus far in his T20 career across three franchises in the Indian Premier League and for Vidarbha in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
However, the negligible impact in the middle-order and the presence of finishers like Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube, and the addition of Rinku Singh, resulted in him failing to convince the selectors. But the team management decided to drop vice-captain Shubman Gill due to his poor returns as an opener. The move was to accommodate Sanju Samson at the top along with Abhishek Sharma, as the duo had achieved success with their high strike rate and proven ability to provide a quickfire start to the Indian team.
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Notably, Sanju Samson has scored three centuries in the T20I format and stitched a 63-run partnership in less than six overs with Abhishek Sharma against the final T20I against South Africa. The team management wanted a positive intent from their openers, and the pair of Sanju-Abhishek provided a glimpse of what they can produce on a good day.
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Moreover, Ishan Kishan had a sensational Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025 season. He slammed 517 runs at an average of 57.44 and an astronomical strike rate of 197.32, with two centuries. His contributions helped Jharkhand to create history by winning their maiden SMAT title. As a result, Kishan is making a comeback to the Indian side after his T20 World Cup squad selection. Due to these reasons, Jitesh Sharma left out of T20 World Cup by the selectors, which was certainly a bold call from them.
How Did Jitesh Sharma React to His T20 World Cup Snub?
During an interaction with CricTracker, Jitesh Sharma opened up on how his absence from the 2026 T20 World Cup squad affected him. He revealed it was heartbreaking for him to accept the decision by the selectors. According to Sharma, there was no prior communication between him and the selectors on how they are moving forward regarding the T20 World Cup squad selection. He had already prepared himself for representing the Men in Blue in the showpiece event.
In an exclusive interview with CricTracker, Jitesh Sharma breaks his silence on missing out on India’s 2026 T20 World Cup squad.#JiteshSharma pic.twitter.com/plKXvdIRqm
— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) January 13, 2026
The announcement was heartbreaking for the keeper-batter, and it took him some time to process his omission. But he soon understood the rationale behind the decision after a chat with the coaches and selectors. The reason behind Jitesh Sharma left out of T20 World Cup was properly explained to him by the selectors, which he found was valid. Jitesh Sharma admitted that spending time with his family and a chat with RCB batting coach Dinesh Karthik helped him get over the disappointment. Sharma was a part of Baroda’s squad for the 2025-26 edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He could score only 92 runs in five innings, with a top knock of 73 against Chandigarh.
