Sunil Gavaskar apparently is unhappy over team selections for T20 World Cup 2026
and went on to makes a big MS Dhoni comparison to explain how Jitesh Sharma did nothing wrong to be dropped from India’s T20 World Cup squad.
Sunil Gavaskar feels wicketkeeper-batter Jitesh Sharma did ‘nothing wrong’ to deserve being dropped from India’s squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup. The former skipper said that Jitesh kept well in his limited chances, even praising him to be the best after MS Dhoni at ‘helping the captain with DRS calls’.
Jitesh returned to the team in November when India’s experiment with Sanju Samson in the middle-order didn’t work out. However, opener Shubman Gill’s poor form means Samson has returned to the top of the order, prompting India to look for a wicketkeeping backup who could also open the innings.
Whereas Ajit Agarkar and co. turned to Ishan Kishan, who top-scored in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with over 500 runs at a 190-plus strike-rate to help Jharkhand lift the title.
“He (Jitesh) was a very good wicketkeeper in his chances, and after MS Dhoni, he was perhaps the best at helping the captain with DRS calls from behind the stumps.
With the bat, Jitesh only got five chances in the difficult finishing position where time and deliveries are limited. He scored 62 runs at a strike-rate of 158.97 in it.
However, Gavaskar seemed to get Jitesh’s age wrong, as he called the 32-year-old ‘young’.
“It is tough on him, but he is young. He just needs to go back to domestic cricket and keep performing.
Gavaskar was also happy for Kishan, saying that he proved that IPL was not the only criterion for India selection.
News Edit KV Raman