Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has praised head coach Gautam Gambhir and the Indian selectors for backing Ishan Kishan ahead of Shubman Gill in the T20 World Cup squad. Harbhajan said the decision seemed controversial at the time, but it turned out to be the right call in the end as Kishan put up an excellent campaign.
Kishan became India’s second highest scorer of the tournament, he plays a key role at the top of the order alongside Sanju Samson. His aggressive starts helped India dominate the power play in several matches en route to the title.
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Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel that while Gill’s omission had sparked debate initially, Kishan’s form in domestic cricket has already shown that he deserves another opportunity in the format.
“Bringing in Ishan Kishan was a good move by Gautam Gambhir, although at the time we felt there was an injustice to Shubman Gill. Because he was replaced by Ishan Kishan in the World Cup squad. But I myself said earlier that he is the best batsman in the format at the moment because of the way he batted in his domestic cricket on YouTube,” he said.
Harbhajan also pointed out how Kishan maintained his aggressive attitude throughout the tournament and consistently played with the needs of the team in mind.
“Ishan Kishan has started things exactly where Abhishek Sharma left off. He has not let us down even once in this World Cup. He has batted destructively in every match and kept the team on top. To bat like this after coming back to the scene is a huge thing,” remarked Harbhajan.
HOW ISHAN REPLACED GILL AT T20 WORLD CUP
The shift in selection came after contrasting cycles of form for the two batsmen in the months leading up to the tournament. Shubman Gill returned to India’s T20I set-up during the Asia Cup in September 2025 and was even named vice-captain to skipper Suryakumar Yadav.
However, Gill struggled for format consistency and his decline in form ultimately leading to his exclusion from the 15-man squad announced on 20 December 2025.
At the same time, Ishan Kishan was enjoying a great performance in domestic cricket. The Jharkhand batsman played a key role in leading his national team to its maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title.
He further boosted his candidature by smashing a century against New Zealand in the final match of the five-match T20I series before the World Cup in Thiruvananthapuram.
HOW DID ISHAN DO IN THE T20 WORLD CUP?
Kishan carried that momentum into the tournament, consistently delivering strong starts at the top of the order. His attacking batting style perfectly suited India’s aggressive template in the format.
The final against New Zealand was another example of his influence. Kishan blasted 54 off just 25 balls as India amassed 255 at the summit, leaving New Zealand with a huge target.
He also made valuable contributions in the field during the chase, dismissing Rachin Ravindra and Tim Seifert with two crisp catches.
At the end of the tournament, Kishan crossed the 300-run mark, joining Sanju Samson and Virat Kohli as the only Indian batsmen to score more than 300 runs in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
11 March 2026 08:43 IST
