Kishan dedicates T20 World Cup triumph to late cousin

Ishan Kishan dedicated India’s triumph in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 to his late cousin sister, revealing that she and his brother-in-law died in a car accident a day before the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Kishan played a crucial role in the title clash, scoring 54 to help India register a commanding 96-run victory over New Zealand national cricket team and secure their third T20 World Cup crown.

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“To be honest, before the game, I lost my cousin sister in a car accident. I played well for her. I spoke to Hardik bhai; he said to put the team ahead. I dedicate this win to her, and this was on Women’s Day, so it makes it all the more special,” Kishan told reporters in the mixed zone interaction.

The wicketkeeper-batter’s performance capped a remarkable comeback journey. After being out of the national side for nearly two years, Kishan returned to finish as India’s second-highest run-scorer in the tournament behind Sanju Samson.

Reflecting on the lessons he learned during his time away from the national setup, Kishan said he focused on maintaining the right mindset and approach rather than worrying about results, while drawing inspiration from Virat Kohli.

“In these two years, the biggest thing I learned was to just keep doing your job; don’t think about the results. The skills don’t change much. If I scored a 200 before, the skills were there then and they are there now. But what matters is your approach. How much hunger do you have?

“If you remove the fear of failure and doubt, you only focus on staying in the present. In these two years I have learned one thing: I have stopped overthinking. I don’t even think about where my name will come up, whether it will come up or not. I think it’s not in my hands, and if I think about these things and then look at the team and see my name isn’t there, it will just hurt me.

“So in a way, I take a step back. Like I said, I like Virat bhai a lot, seeing how he has put his energy into the game for so many years. That work was the most important thing for me to understand – what can I change within myself? Because the ability is there,” he elaborated.

Kishan also recalled a conversation with India captain Suryakumar Yadav before the T20 World Cup squad was announced, a moment that reinforced his belief.

“When Surya bhai called, I took a screenshot and thought it was for the World Cup. He called and asked, ‘WC jeetwayega kya (Will you make us win the World Cup?’. I asked, ‘Aap bharosa karoge kya (Will you show trust in me)?’ and then said, ‘Karoonga (I will do it(.’ He said chal kiya (okay, done).”

Kishan’s redemption arc began after he fell out of the national setup in 2023. He worked his way back through domestic cricket, leading Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in 2025 before returning to the national side in strong form.

That journey culminated in Kishan playing every match of the tournament and lifting the trophy with India. He added that the World Cup triumph carried immense personal significance, particularly for his family.

“I just went in with the thought that even if I get out on zero, we just have to win the World Cup. It means a lot to me. More than myself, I would say my family members are much more relaxed now. As sportsmen, we go through phases.

“We know how to take care of ourselves, as we know the reality, the ability we have and how we can change things. But at the same time, the ones who get troubled are the family members. So for their happiness, perhaps we work harder so that we can try to make it back into the team as soon as possible. At the end of the day, keeping them happy becomes everything for us,” he added.