Ishan Kishan suffered heartbreaking family tragedy days before T20 World Cup 2026 final vs New Zealand

Ishan Kishan, who emerged as one of the standout performers for India in the T20 World Cup 2026, played the big final that took place on Sunday while battling grief.

Ishan Kishan had to endure major grief ahead of the final

According to a TOI report, Kishan's cousin and brother-in-law had died in a car accident on Friday, just a couple of days before the T20 World Cup final. Due to the incident, Kishan's father, Pranav Pandey, could not attend the final in Ahmedabad. Kishan had joined his family in this challenging time, but he had to stay back with the team due to the World Cup final.

Kishan's decision to remain with the team proved to be crucial for India as he made a vital 54 off 25 in the final, which helped India post an enormous total of 255/5. In the end, India secured a victory by 96 runs as New Zealand got bundled out at 159 in 19 overs. With the win, India became the first team to win back-to-back T20 World Cup titles. Also, India are the first to win three T20 World Cups.

Ishan Kishan's incredible T20 World Cup 2026 campaign

Ishan Kishan's sudden selection in the Indian squad did wonders for the team, as the batter finished with 317 runs, the fourth highest in this edition of the T20 World Cup. He scored a match-winning 77 off 40 in the game against arch-rivals Pakistan. He scored valuable runs in the match against Zimbabwe and in the semifinal against England as well. Barring the group stage matches and the Super 8 game against South Africa, where he opened the innings for India, Ishan came in at number 3 in the rest of the fixtures and successfully played the role of a floater.

In the final as well, he did not let the momentum slip following the dismissal of Abhishek Sharma, and took the aggressive route from the outset. He made an explosive 54, which included 4 fours and as many sixes.

Credit to RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha for picking Ishan Kishan based on the Syed Mushtaq Ali Tournament's performance, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar for selecting him in the squad.