Several days have passed since Team India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 was announced. After the selection, the biggest talking point was the exclusion of Shubman Gill from the team. Gill openly shared his feelings about the decision. However, there was another player who was also suddenly dropped from the squad — wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma.
Jitesh revealed that he was removed from the team without being informed and came to know about it only through the media after the official announcement. In December, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, and captain Suryakumar Yadav announced the T20 World Cup squad during a press conference. As soon as the squad was revealed, most of the discussion revolved around Shubman Gill, who was the vice-captain of the T20 team at the time but was left out of the World Cup squad. Reports later claimed that Gill was informed about the decision barely half an hour before the official announcement.
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Jitesh learned the news from the media
While Gill was kept in the dark until the last moment, Jitesh Sharma did not receive any information from the selectors at all. In an interview with CricTracker, Jitesh disclosed that he found out about his exclusion through media reports. The Baroda wicketkeeper said that until the squad was announced, he had no idea he was being dropped from the team. He added that the reason later given by the selectors in the press conference was something he agreed with and felt was fair.
Jitesh also mentioned that he later spoke to the coach and the selectors regarding the decision. He said that after those discussions, he felt their reasoning was justified. He clearly understood what they wanted to explain and agreed with their point of view.
What did Agarkar say about dropping Jitesh?
Jitesh Sharma was replaced by Ishan Kishan in the Indian squad. Ajit Agarkar had explained that the team management wanted a wicketkeeper-batter in the top order. As a result, Sanju Samson was selected over Shubman Gill, and for the second wicketkeeper’s slot, Ishan Kishan was preferred over Jitesh. Jitesh had been playing the role of a finisher for Team India, but that position was filled by Rinku Singh in the World Cup squad.