Tragedy struck Ishan Kishan as he was gearing up to play the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand. Kishan’s cousin sister passed away after succumbing to her injuries in a car accident. The southpaw dedicated his 25-ball 54 and India's win to her sister on International Women’s Day. He also revealed how teammate Hardik Pandya kept him focused on the match day by putting the team first.
"I was not planning to say this, but I lost my cousin sister yesterday in a car accident. I got to know during the practice session. She always wanted me to score big runs. But today was a big day, rather than keeping my emotions, I just thought, 'the best thing I can do is I can score runs for her', and that's why I looked up after scoring my fifty. It was for my sister, her family and my very close friends," Kishan said after the 96-run win.
"I was not feeling well mentally before the final, but I spoke to Hardik bhai. He said it won't be easy, but he reminded me it's a team sport so we need to lift each other up for the team's cause. I had that anger inside me in the final to perform."
Kishan helped India carry forward the momentum after a successful powerplay. He hit four sixes and as many fours in his half-century before losing his wicket to James Neesham in the same over Sanju Samson departed. The two batters shared a 105-run partnership from 48 balls. They helped set a platform for a big score. The hosts eventually scored 255/4, thanks to Shivam Dube’s outstanding cameo.
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With his third half-century in nine games, Kishan finished as fourth-highest run-scorer of the tournament. He scored 317 runs averaging 35.22. His strike rate was 193.39.
Kishan follows Kohli’s footsteps
After the title win, Kishan revealed how he stopped thinking about things beyond his control, taking a leaf out of Virat Kohli's book.
"I have stopped thinking too much. Just do your work and not think about the things which are not under your control, and that's what Virat (Kohli) bhai always did," said the 27-year-old.
Surya’s call for a T20 World Cup seat
He also revealed his conversation with captain Suryakumar Yadav informing him that he has been picked for the T20 World Cup for his performances in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025 where he finished as top run-scorer, leading Jharkhand to the title.
“When Surya bhai called, I took a screenshot and thought it was for the World Cup. He called and asked WC jeetwayega kya. I asked, 'Aap bharosa karoge kya?' and I said, 'Karoonga.' He said chal kiya,” he added.