Ishan Kishan recently made a memorable return to the Indian team.
Ishan Kishan made a memorable return to the Indian team in the recently held five-T20I series against New Zealand. The southpaw finished the series with 215 runs from four innings at an average of 53.75 and a strike-rate of 231.18, including one hundred and a half-century.
As a result, Kishan strengthened his claim to be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter and Abhishek Sharma’s opening partner at the T20 World Cup 2026, starting February 7.
Ishan Kishan has often attributed his success to the exposure he got while playing for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. He played a key role in MI’s triumphant campaigns in 2019 and 2020.
However, the IPL 2021 season was a disappointing one for Kishan, who scored 241 runs in 10 matches at an average of 26.77. The left-hander looked distraught after a game between MI and RCB, when none other than the legendary Virat Kohli walked up, had a chat and tried to console him.
Speaking on the 2 Sloggers Podcast, Ishan Kishan recalled how Kohli’s words came at the right time, revealing he held back tears as the RCB talisman spoke to him.
“I was very sad during another match. Remember a video had come, where I was on the verge of crying before Virat bhai consoled me. Bas kisi tarah se aansu roke huye the (I just somehow managed to hold back tears). He [Virat] must have seen me just lying there. Poor kid; he probably must be thinking too much,” Kishan said.
Considering his current form, Ishan Kishan is expected play a pivotal role in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 defence on home soil.
The Men in Blue will begin their campaign on February 7 against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium. India are placed in Group A with Pakistan, Namibia, the Netherlands and the USA.
India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel (vc), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Washington Sunder, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy