'World Cup Jitayega': Suryakumar Yadav asked THIS star player before T20 World Cup 2026 and he…
Ishan Kishan ended T20 World Cup 2026 as the 2nd highest run-getter for Team India with 317 runs, including a fifty in the final vs New Zealand.
Ishan Kishan stepped up for Suryakumar Yadav in the T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. (Photo: IANS)
India vs New Zealand T20 World Cup 2026 Final: When India captain Suryakumar Yadav called Ishan Kishan to confirm his place in India's T20 World Cup 2026 squad, the captain had just one question to ask the swashbuckling batter 'World Cup jitayega?'
Never the one to shy away from making a statement, Kishan answered Suryakumar with a question of his own, "Bharosa karoge? (Will you have faith in me?)"
The brief conversation ended with Suryakumar replying in affirmative and Kishan delivered with 241 runs in the tournament, including a blazing half century in the all-important final here on Sunday. "Surya bhai called me when the team was about to meet. I even took a screenshot because I had a feeling he had called about the World Cup team. He asked me directly, 'World Cup jitayega?' (Will you win us the World Cup)
"I asked him, 'Bharosa karoge?' He said 'yes' and that was it," a beaming Kishan recalled after India's title triumph that was sealed with a 96-run thrashing of New Zealand in the summit clash in Ahmedabad on Sunday night.
However, the night before the final was far from easy for the Bihar-man, who plays for Jharkhand. He was dealing with a deeply personal loss. Kishan revealed that he had learnt about the death of his cousin sister in an acciden just days earlier. It was a piece of news that weighed heavily on his mind heading into the biggest game of the tournament.
Speaking about the emotional turmoil, Kishan said he decided to channel his turbulent feelings into focussed batting. "To be very honest, before the game I was not planning to say this, but I'll say it. My cousin sister passed away in a car accident and I got to know about it a few days back. She always wanted me to score big runs," one could gauge the pain in his voice.
"I was not feeling so good yesterday but today was a big day, so rather than keeping my emotions above the game, I thought the best thing I could do was score runs for her," he said.
He explained that in the moment after reaching his fifty, there was relief and also gratitude that he could achieve it for his late sister. "When I looked up after scoring my fifty, it was for her. It was like saying this is for my sister. I'm very proud that we won today. I feel for her family but my close friends are there to take care.
"There was a lot going on inside me today and I just wanted to perform," he said.
Kishan admitted that the emotional weight made the build-up to the match difficult but he reminded himself of the team's needs. "Since last night I was not feeling alright and I kept thinking about what had happened. But at the end of the day you have to keep the team ahead because cricket is not an individual sport.
"I was just looking to score as many runs as possible even though there were questions in my mind about why bad things happen to good people."
Even as the tournament unfolded under intense scrutiny, Kishan insisted the Indian dressing room thrived on simplicity and mutual trust. Reflecting on the team environment, he said the players focused on staying present rather than getting overwhelmed by the occasion.
"The World Cup is always a very big stage and there is pressure and nervousness. But the work here is simple, you just have to pick the right shots and keep things uncomplicated. When you keep it simple, it becomes easier for a player."
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