The Indian wicket-keeper batter, Jitesh Sharma, has revealed that he was shocked by his omission from the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. It happened just a day after being in the T20I side at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad during the series against South Africa in December. 

Jitesh has earned only 162 runs in 12 innings of the shortest format at an average of 18 and a strike rate of 151.40, with the best score of 35. However, he was in excellent touch during the IPL 2025 for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for his 261 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 176.35.

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“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 expressed in an interaction on CricTracker.

Jitesh Sharma opens up on T20 World Cup 2026 snub

Jitesh made his comeback to the T20I side in September last year as they began their campaign for the World Cup with the Asia Cup 2025 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He soon overtook Sanju Samson after his indifferent form in the middle order during the Australia trip.

“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 explained.

Jitesh hopes to get a full run after the T20 World Cup 2026 and get ready for the next edition in England. He has the power and skill in the lower order, but it will be massively important for him to get consistency in his performance.