Instead of Sanju Samson, Aakash Chopra picked the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star Jitesh Sharma as the frontrunner for the position of wicketkeeper-batsman in India's ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 team.
He made it to the 15-man squad on the back of his heroics in RCB's maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) triumph in 2025, where he was stellar with the bat and stunning behind the stumps.
He is likely to start in the India playing XI as a middle-order batter, as Shubman Gill, being the vice-captain, is likely to open the innings with Abhishek Sharma, replacing gloveman Sanju Samson.
"We come to the man who is there (in the Asia Cup squad). I feel he will play in the XI. That is Jitesh Sharma. When he has played at Nos. 1 to 3, he has a strike rate of 135 and an average of 25. We shouldn't think too much about that because he won't get a chance there. However, his numbers at Nos. 4 to 7 have become a lot better."
He seems to be at No. 1 - Aakash Chopra gives Jitesh Sharma the wicketkeeper-batsman spot for T20 WC
"He has a strike rate of 166 and an average of 28. He is the first batter whose strike rate is above 150. So when the pecking order is prepared, he will go right at the top. Jitesh Sharma's numbers have looked the best amongst everyone else. Jitesh Sharma is shining bright. He seems to be at No. 1."
"Dhruv Jurel is a part of the Indian setup at the moment. He is among the standbys currently. He has played only two matches at Nos. 1 to 3, so there is no point in talking about a strike rate of 71 there. However, at Nos. 4 to 7, where he bats regularly, he has a strike rate of 144 and an average of 25, which is not bad," he said.
He is also a work in progress - Aakash Chopra
"He is also a work in progress. I won't say that he is a finished product, but I have a lot of time for Dhruv Jurel because he is a good cricketer.
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