Ishan Kishan dedicates World Cup win to late cousin:India star’s brother-in-law died in car accident 2 days before final

India’s T20 World Cup 2026 victory had many heroes, but one of the most inspiring stories belonged to Ishan Kishan. The left-handed wicketkeeper-batter made a remarkable comeback after being out of the national team for a long period. Meanwhile, before the final clash against New Zealand, he faced a personal loss as his cousin sister passed away in a car accident. Kishan had fallen out of the national team during the tenure of former head coach Rahul Dravid. The situation began when the Jharkhand cricketer asked for a break during India’s tour of South Africa, which reportedly did not go down well with the team management and the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar. As a result, Kishan found himself out of contention for selection. However, instead of giving up, the 27-year-old worked harder and made a strong statement with his performances in domestic cricket. He scored heavily in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and forced the selectors to reconsider him for the national team. His consistent performances eventually earned him a place back in India’s T20I squad. Personal tragedy before T20 WC 2026 final Ishan Kishan has played a crucial role in the match by scoring a half-century. But after the game, he revealed that he had gone through a very difficult personal moment just a day before the final. He shared that he lost his cousin sister in a tragic car accident the day before the summit clash. “To be honest, before the game, I lost my cousin sister yesterday 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 today is Women’s Day, so it makes it all the more special,” Kishan told reporters in Ahmedabad. Advice from Kohli and Surya during difficult phase During his difficult phase outside the national team, Kishan revealed that he learned an important lesson from Virat Kohli. He decided not to stress about things that were beyond his control and instead focused only on improving his game. “I have stopped thinking too much. Just do your work and not think about the things which are not under your control, and that’s what Virat (Kohli) bhai always did,” said Kishan. Revealed conversations with SKY before T20 WC began He also shared an interesting conversation with India captain Suryakumar Yadav before the World Cup squad was announced. He shared, “When Surya bhai called, I took a screenshot and thought it was for the World Cup. He called and asked WC jeetwayega kya. I asked, ‘Aap bharosa karoge kya?’ and I said, ‘Karoonga.’ He said chal kiya,” he added.