Who is Kumar Kushagra? Jharkhand’s 22-year-old wicketkeeper-batter in India’s ODI and T20I squads vs New Zealand
Kumar Kushagra was born and raised in Jamshedpur. He learned the game under the guidance of his father, Shashikant Singh, who had no professional playing experience but studied cricket coaching materials extensively and built a concrete pitch at home.
Kumar Kushagra has moved from a reliable Jharkhand domestic performer into India’s ODI and T20I squads for the series against New Zealand. The right-handed wicketkeeper-batter from Jamshedpur earned his first senior call-ups in October 2026 after a strong run across formats, first as Rishabh Pant’s replacement for the New Zealand A four-day matches and then for both limited-overs sides.
Origin and background
Kumar Kushagra was born and raised in Jamshedpur. He learned the game under the guidance of his father, Shashikant Singh, who had no professional playing experience but studied cricket coaching materials extensively and built a concrete pitch at home. The pair focused on technical improvements, including better shot selection against the moving ball and reducing premeditated strokes. Kushagra made his Ranji Trophy debut for Jharkhand in the 2021-22 season.
India squad call-ups
In October 2026, Kumar Kushagra was first named as Rishabh Pant’s replacement for the opening two four-day matches against New Zealand A. He was subsequently added to the India T20I squad for the second match of the series and later selected for the final two ODIs against New Zealand. These were his first call-ups to the senior national team in both formats. The selections followed an India A assignment against Australia A in Puducherry earlier the same month.
2025-26 domestic performances
Kumar Kushagra’s form in the current season has been among the most consistent of any young Indian domestic player. In the Ranji Trophy, he scored 572 runs at an average of 47.66. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he made 368 runs at an average of 73.60 with a strike rate of 102.50. He finished third on the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy run-scorers list with 422 runs at an average of 60.28 and a strike rate of 161.68, helping Jharkhand win the title.
Earlier in the season, he scored 55 for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy quarter-final, followed by 101 off 132 balls and 46 in the final. Against Australia A, he contributed 113 and an unbeaten 46 in the four-day game.
Career progress
After averaging 62.71 in his debut Ranji season, Kushagra’s average dropped to 33.00 the following year. He worked on his technique against fast bowling and was later moved to No. 3 by the Jharkhand management. In that role, he scored a double-century against Baroda early last season, only his third innings at the position. He has also represented India A regularly, including a one-day tri-series in Sri Lanka in June 2026, after which he returned immediately to play in the Jharkhand Premier League and scored 58 off 26 and an unbeaten 78 off 39 as Chota Nagpur Royals lifted the title.
These performances have established him as a reliable middle-order option capable of contributing in both longer and shorter formats.