I was needed more than the World Cup. Jitesh Sharma expressed his pain, lost his father’s support after being dropped from the team.

Jitesh Sharma: Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Jitesh Sharma could not make it to the T20 World Cup 2026 squad at the last moment. The selectors gave a chance to Ishan Kishan in his place. Jitesh was a part of India’s T20 team after the T20 World Cup played in the Caribbean in 2024, but he did not get many opportunities and could not cement his place.

On the other hand, Ishan Kishan made a strong comeback by performing brilliantly in domestic cricket. Kishan, who was out of the Indian team for almost two years, returned to the team on the basis of a strong domestic season and justified the opportunity he got in the T20 World Cup 2026 with his excellent performance.

Been in difficult times due to father’s illness

This time was very difficult for Jitesh Sharma not only in terms of cricket but also in terms of personal life. He was definitely sad to miss the T20 World Cup, but during that time his father became seriously ill.

The sad thing was that his father passed away on 1 February. Jitesh stayed with his father during this difficult time and took care of him in his last days. Talking about this, Jitesh Sharma said, “When I got this news, I was a little disappointed. After all, I am also a human being, so it is natural to feel sad and disappointed. But with time and with the help of family and friends, I was able to come out of that phase.”

felt more important to be with father

Jitesh Sharma told that at that time it was most important for him to be with his father. He said that he has no regrets that he could not play the World Cup. Jitesh said, “My father fell ill and died on February 1. During that time, I was with him for seven days. Later I realized that at that time my father needed me more, even more than the World Cup. I have no regrets about this. I am thankful to God that I could be with him in his last days and take care of him.”

VIDEO | India cricketer Jitesh Sharma opens up on missing out on India’s title-winning squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

“I’m also a human, so I did feel sad initially. But my family and friends supported me a lot and that phase passed. My father fell ill and passed away on… pic.twitter.com/HoGJACXsOz

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 11, 2026

Watched India’s victory from home

Jitesh Sharma told that he watched the T20 World Cup 2026 from home. He said that watching the match from home is more stressful than playing on the field. He said that I watched the World Cup from home, which is a completely different and more stressful experience than playing. But I am very happy for the team. The players fulfilled the vision of the coach, captain and the entire team that was created after the Asia Cup.

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Team India performed brilliantly in this tournament and won the title. Even though Jitesh Sharma was not a part of the team, he expressed happiness over India’s historic victory and congratulated the team.