Ishan Kishan fires shots at Ajit Agarkar for punishing him after T20 World Cup triumph

For Ishan Kishan, the T20 World Cup 2026 title is not just a title, it is a personal testimony as well. Years of hard grinding, the effort finally paid off for the keeper-batter. When he joined the media session alongside Abhishek Sharma after winning the Final against New Zealand by 96 runs, Ishan looked emotional.

Ishan Kishan's entry in the T20 World Cup 2026 was a surprising call made by the team selectors. The Jharkhand-born kept knocking on the selectors' door, playing one after another match-winning knock in domestic cricket, after being dropped from the BCCI Central Contract.

Ishan Kishan took Jharkhand to the top of the ladder

At one point, the batter's international career was cast with uncertainty. Battling against injuries, mental health, and personal issues, Ishan Kishan went behind the curtains until his unforgettable stints with the Jharkhand cricket team.

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As the captain, he led Jharkhand to their first-ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) title in December 2025, defeating Haryana by 69 runs in the final. As captain, he was the tournament's top scorer with 517 runs, including a 101-run knock in the final.

The selection for the T20 World Cup 2026 squad was not easy for him

After the historic feat, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel had to call him for the T20 World Cup 2026. Ishan Kishan prepared himself for the moment— the moment with the T20 World Cup trophy, which he achieved on March 8 in Ahmedabad.

"When Suryakumar called me a few months back to tell me about my selection in the World Cup squad, he asked me, 'Can you win the World Cup for me?', Kishan said. "I just asked him back, 'Will you trust me?' and he said 'Yes, I will trust you", Ishan told the media.

"It means a lot to me. More than myself, my family members are much more relaxed now. As sportsmen, we can take care of ourselves in our difficult phases, but it's our family members who remain worried", he added.

The pain he kept inside for years oozed out of his throat when he said to Abhishek Sharma, who was sitting right beside him, "Your suffering is for one month, while I toiled for 2 years."

A question is asked on struggle in life in general.
Abhishek - mein jawab deta hoon, mera zaada hai abhi.
Ishan - tera ek mahine ka hai, mera 2 saal ka hai be.

Laugh looking at each other. #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/1qnwPvoHFT

— Karishma Singh (@karishmasingh22) March 8, 2026

Meanwhile, Abhishek Sharma recorded three ducks in a row in the group stage of the tournament, before making a blistering comeback in the final. Like Ishan, Sharma also registered a half-century on Sunday.

A day before the Final, Ishan received the news of his cousin sister's death in a car accident. It was a devastating situation. But he needed to prepare himself for the high-octane clash. The half-century he scored in the Final, dedicated to her.

"I was not planning to say this, but I lost my cousin sister yesterday in a car accident. I got to know during the practice session. She always wanted me to score big runs. But today was a big day, rather than keeping my emotions, I just thought, 'the best thing I can do is I can score runs for her', and that's why I looked up after scoring my fifty. It was for my sister, her family, and my very close friends", Ishan Kishan informed.

Hardik Pandya helped him to stabilize his mindset

Hardik Pandya's words of wisdom helped Ishan to recollect his mind. Hardik encouraged him to do for the team, as cricket is all about supporting each other.

"I was not feeling well mentally before the final, but I spoke to Hardik bhai. He said it won't be easy, but he reminded me it's a team sport so we need to lift each other for the team's cause. I had that anger inside me in the final to perform", Ishan Kishan described the challenging stages he went through before the T20 World Cup 2026 Final.

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