Jitesh finally breaks silence on T20 WC omission

• Jitesh Sharma dropped from T20 World Cup squad, selectors didn't inform him beforehand.
• Sharma accepts selector's reasoning for exclusion, prioritizes team's needs over his own.
• Sanju Samson is now primary wicketkeeper for 2026, Ishan Kishan replaces Jitesh.

Jitesh Sharma, a mainstay in India's T20I team for the five-match series against South Africa, had his career take an unwanted turn, as he found himself

missing from the 15-member squad ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup. The Baroda cricketer was the primary preference for India's wicketkeeping role in the buildup to the tournament, but faced a last-minute exclusion.

Speaking to CricTracker on the matter, Jitesh said that neither the selectors nor the team management had a word with him before the squad was picked and why he wasn't included. However, he found himself at peace with the reasoning that the chief selector Ajit Agarkar gave at the press conference after picking the squad. He believes it is better to keep the team's need above himself, and thus, selectors made a fair call.

"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 this website.

On being asked what his raw emotions were getting to know about the snub from the squad for the global tournament, the Amravati-born explained that it was indeed a heartbreaking moment, but having to accept it would be the only way to live on. He further said that being around his family and RCB mentor Dinesh Karthik gave him the required comfort.

"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," Jitesh added.

For the unversed, the Men in Blue will go into the 2026 edition of the tournament with Sanju Samson as the primary wicketkeeper-batter. Samson will also be seen opening alongside Abhishek Sharma, while Ishan Kishan made a comeback and replaced Jitesh in the squad as another option with the gloves. The Suryakumar Yadav-led side will be more than confident of defending the title, since they will be playing at home.

India's squad for T20 World Cup 2026

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