Aakash Chopra, a former Indian cricket player, believes he won’t be shocked if Ishan Kishan makes the starting lineup for India in the 2026 T20 World Cup. Kishan was just called up to the Indian T20I team for the T20 World Cup and the series against New Zealand.
In addition to pointing out that Kishan is used to batting at the top of the order, Chopra gave a few examples of the left-handed batter’s accomplishments. At the major event, Chopra endorsed Kishan to perform well in the New Zealand T20I series and be an important member of the Men in Blue’s batting lineup.
“If you’re thinking that he is an opener and that No. 3 is not his natural position, he has opened for the Mumbai Indians and Jharkhand and has always done so. However, he was ready for No. 3 in the IPL 2025 since he played at No. 3 and smashed a tonne in the opening game after being selected by SRH for a large sum of money. He has learnt what it takes to be a No. 3 hitter. I’ll not be shocked. It appears that God is writing Kishan’s screenplay, therefore I won’t be shocked if he performs well in the T20 World Cup. He may even start in the starting lineup on February 7.
In a video posted on X, Chopra said, “When God does it, he writes it well.”
Kishan’s journey has been one of perseverance and tenacity, from being excluded from the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s annual contracts to battling it out on the domestic circuit. With 517 runs in 10 games at a strike rate of 197.32, he recently led from the front to win Jharkhand the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and became the edition’s highest run scorer.
In November 2023, Kishan made his final appearance for India. The southpaw has participated in 32 T20Is in addition to a few Test matches and 27 ODIs. In T20Is, Kishan has amassed 796 runs. When India begins their T20I series against the Kiwis on January 21, a lot of eyes will be on him.
India
