T20 World Cup 2026: ‘I would have them in place of Ishan & Washi’ - Wasim Jaffer questions Jaiswal and Jitesh’s omission
India will begin their campaign in T20 World Cup against USA on February 7.
Former India cricketer Wasim Jaffer believes that Yashasvi Jaiswal should have been selected ahead of Ishan Kishan in the squad. Although Kishan enjoyed an outstanding Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025 campaign and played a key role in leading Jharkhand to their first-ever domestic T20 title, Jaffer feels that performance alone should not have come at the expense of Jaiswal’s exclusion. Kishan’s selection was largely influenced by his wicketkeeping skills, which gave him an edge in the final squad.
However, Jaffer questioned that logic and suggested that Jitesh Sharma should have been backed instead, as the wicketkeeper-batter had not done anything significant to warrant being dropped. Jaffer also raised concerns over the inclusion of Washington Sundar, noting that he is unlikely to feature regularly in the playing XI. With India already having three specialist spinners, including a spin-bowling all-rounder, Jaffer felt the balance of the squad was questionable.
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106“I would have them in place of Ishan & Washi. Axar is VC so he’s sure to play and you can’t play Washi ahead of Varun and Kuldeep. Jitesh hasn’t done anything wrong to be dropped and Yashasvi, don’t need any explaining why he shouldn’t be there in first place,” Jaffer wrote on X.
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Jaiswal has consistently produced stronger numbers than Kishan in both T20 internationals and the Indian Premier League. He is also regarded as India’s incumbent opener following the retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the T20 format in June 2024. Despite this, Jaiswal was rested from T20Is by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to allow him to prioritise Test cricket.
However, when the opportunity arose for his return during the Asia Cup 2025, the selectors opted for Shubman Gill instead. In comparison, while Kishan impressed in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, his performances over the past two years have been inconsistent and less impactful at the international level.
Looking ahead to India’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, the defending champions will begin their journey against the United States of America on February 7. They will then face Namibia on February 12, Pakistan on February 15, and the Netherlands on February 18, as they aim to start strongly in the group stage.
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