THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Ranchi, Dec 22: Fresh from his title-winning exploits in domestic cricket, wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has been appointed captain of Jharkhand for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy (Elite) 2025–26 season, the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) announced.
Jharkhand will open their Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign against Karnataka in Ahmedabad, with the tournament scheduled to get underway from December 24.
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The squad for the season features several familiar faces, including Kumar Kushagra, Anukul Roy, Robin Minz, Sushant Mishra and Virat Singh.
Jharkhand squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025/26:
Ishan Kishan (Wk & captain), Virat Singh, Utkarsh Singh, Kumar Kushagra (Wk & vice-captain), Robin Minz, Anukul Roy, Sharandeep Singh, Shikhar Mohan, Pankaj Kumar (WK), Bala Krishna, Md Kounain Quraishi, Shubh Sharma, Amit Kumar, Manishi, Abhinav Sharan, Sushant Mishra, Vikash Singh, Saurabh Shekhar, Rajandeep Singh, Shubham SinghIshan
SMAT title win and T20 World Cup selection
Kishan’s elevation comes on the back of a sensational Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025–26 campaign, where he led Jharkhand to their maiden title. The left-hander amassed 517 runs from 10 innings at an impressive average of 57.44, striking two centuries and two half-centuries.
His tournament-defining performance came in the final against Haryana, where his match-winning 101 steered Jharkhand to the championship.
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Riding on his domestic form, Kishan has also earned a recall to the Indian squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
He has been named as the second-choice wicketkeeper-batter behind Sanju Samson in the 15-member squad, which will be captained by Suryakumar Yadav. Axar Patel has been reinstated as vice-captain, while Shubman Gill has been left out due to concerns over form.
