Jitesh Sharma FINALLY breaks silence on T20 World Cup snub, says, ‘I wasn’t…’
Jitesh Sharma FINALLY breaks silence on T20 World Cup snub, says, ‘I wasn’t…’
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma broke his silence on his T20 World Cup snub, revealing that he was unaware of his omission until the squad announcement and later accepted the selectors explanation.
Written by Srijal Upadhyay Published: Jan 15, 2026, 04:07 PM (IST) Edited: Jan 15, 2026, 04:08 PM (IST)
Jitesh Sharma on T20 World Cup 2026 snub
Jitesh Sharma T20 World Cup snub: India has no shortage of cricketing talent, but finding consistent finishers in T20 cricket remains a challenge. One such player who showed promise in that role was RCB wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma. However, Jitesh was left out when the BCCI announced Indiaâs squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, a decision that surprised many.
Unlike several others, Jitesh did not react immediately on social media. Instead, he later revealed that he was not informed in advance about his exclusion from the squad.
Add Cricket Country as a Preferred Source
Jitesh Sharma T20 World Cup snub
Speaking to CricTracker, Jitesh admitted that the omission hit him hard. He said he only came to know about his exclusion once the squad was officially announced.
“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 explained that after selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar clarified the teamâs combination and strategy, things became clearer to him.
Gill also left out, Rinku and Ishan return
Along with Jitesh Sharma, Shubman Gill, Indiaâs Test and ODI captain, was also omitted from the T20 World Cup squad. Meanwhile, Rinku Singh and Ishan Kishan made their return to the team.
The selectorsâ decision to prefer an opening batter as a wicketkeeper has made competition tougher for middle-order finishers like Jitesh.
Heartbreak and support from Dinesh Karthik
Jitesh did not hide his disappointment and described the phase as emotionally difficult. He shared how conversations with family and former India and RCB star Dinesh Karthik helped him cope.
“It was heartbreaking, as I had worked very hard to play in the ICC T20 World Cup. But that is 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 said.
The road ahead for Jitesh Sharma
While missing out on the T20 World Cup is a setback, Jitesh Sharma remains in the mix for future opportunities. With India constantly evolving its white-ball plans, strong performances in domestic cricket and the IPL could once again put him in contention.
For now, the talented finisher will look to regroup, learn from the setback, and stay ready when the next opportunity comes.
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.
If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.