India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav recalled he had a conversation with Ishan Kishan before the T20 World Cup 2026. Kishan scored a crucial knock of 54 runs off just 24 balls in the final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The left-hander also scored a match-winning knock of 77 runs in the high-octane clash against Pakistan. Overall, Kishan scored 317 runs in nine matches of the tournament at an average of 35.22 and a blistering strike rate of 193.29.
Ahead of the World Cup, Kishan scored 215 runs in four matches against New Zealand and also amassed 517 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy while leading Jharkhand.
SKY said in an interview with ICC, “Before the tournament, I still remember when we were picking the team. I had a call with him, and I told him, ‘Will you win the World Cup for me?’ He said, just show a little bit of trust, and I’ll do it. And he didn’t disappoint. In the last two years, he has missed out on a lot of international cricket, but then he went back to domestic cricket, played his part, did those hard yards, came back again into the Indian side, and did the best what he’s known to do.”
On the other hand, Sanju Samson also delivered with the bat as he scored 321 runs in five matches of the tournament at an average of 80.25. Samson was awarded Player of the tournament, and SKY was all praise for the opener.
“And Sanju Samson, I think he’s ice,” Yadav said. “He’s always been the best man to have around, and the moment he got an opportunity, I feel he did the best what the team wanted. I think it’s good to have him like an elder brother in the side to keep everything calm.”
Indian players will be next seen in action in IPL 2026.
