Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, India's standout batsmen, shared a humorous moment during the post-match press conference following their 96-run triumph against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup 2026 final.
Both players played important roles in the title match: Abhishek hit 52 off 21 balls while Kishan hit 54 off 25 deliveries. Abhishek was under scrutiny heading into the final after a poor patch that featured three consecutive ducks.
Kishan, on the other hand, had been overlooked by selectors for more than two years. He continued to work hard and patiently awaited his opportunity. The wicketkeeper-batter eventually regained his position in the team after leading Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy victory earlier this year.
He made his return to the Indian team in the New Zealand T20I series just before the T20 World Cup, after being named in the India squad for the ICC event.
The two were questioned about how they handled their respective defeats during the news conference. As Abhishek moved to answer, Kishan jokingly reminded him that his own struggle had taken far longer.
"I think I can give a better answer to this question right now," Abhishek began.
Kishan immediately interrupted, saying, "Main bhi de sakta hoon (I can also answer)."
"Tera ek mahina form gaya tha, main do saal bahar raha hoon (You were out of form for one month; I was out of the team for two years),” Kishan stated.
Abhishek replied with a smile, "That one month felt like one and a half years to me," referring to his string of failures in the tournament.
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As he considered how he maintained his mental toughness, Kishan emphasized the value of resilience and faith.
“I think for me the most important thing is self-belief. Because once you go into that self-doubt zone, then that puts pressure on your game. That does not help individually, and you are not also helping the team. So, self-belief, hard work, and when you help others in their bad time, it returns to you as well," Ishan said.
“So, this is what I learned in domestic. Instead, just focusing on myself, I thought, why should I not take the whole team forward…? Have good company, do hard work, be happy, and never lose confidence in yourself. And you definitely have to improve your game,” Kishan added.
Abhishek, who had overpowered the bowlers in the final, took the microphone to express his opinions.
“Your company matters a lot in these times. If you are surrounded by people who are there to make you happy and make you feel that you have achieved something. Everyone (in the team) was so supportive and so happy. All the players, coaches, and support staff—I never saw any doubt on anyone’s face even though I was doubting myself,” Abhishek said.
