Absent from T20Is for 2 years, Ishan Kishan slams unbeaten 113 in run chase to make case for South Africa series

Out-of-favour wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan sent a timely reminder to selectors with an unbeaten 113 in successful run chase in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025. At Narendra Modi Stadium B Ground, Ahmedabad on November 30, he made short work on the run chase of 183 against Tripura. Jharkhand skipper Kishan scored his fourth century in SMAT history, only second to Punjab’s Abhishek Sharma who has five centuries in India’s premier domestic T20 competition.

Earlier, Kishan won the toss and opted to bowl first. Tripura lost early wickets and were reduced to 41/3 in the fifth over. Hanuma Vihari was dismissed cheaply for a single-digit score. Bikramkumar Das and Vijay Shankar shared a 42-run partnership. The partnership was broken by Anukul Roy with Das' wicket. The opener scored 42 runs from 29 deliveries. Then, Roy dismissed Swapnil Singh as well. Skipper M Murasingh joined Shankar in the middle. They shared a 61-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Shankar scored 59 runs from 41 balls, including eight fours and a six. Murasingh contributed with a 21-ball 42 cameo, featuring five sixes. His late carnage helped Tripura post 182/8.

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In the run chase, Jharkhand lost two early wickets in form of Utkarsh Singh and Kumar Kushagra. Kishan and Virat Singh took control of the run chase. Kishan went berserk and reached his century from 45 balls. On the other end, Virat reached his fifty as well. Kishan and Virat shared a 153-run partnership for the third wicket with 15 balls to spare. The Jharkhand opener hit 10 fours and eight sixes in his 50-ball 113. Virat hit four fours and a six in his 40-ball 53.

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Kishan equals CSK wicketkeeper’s record

Kishan’s unbeaten 113 is the joint-highest score against Tripura in SMAT. Previous season, Gujarat's Urvil Patel scored an unbeaten 113 off just 35 balls in Indore. Urvil is a part of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad.

Kishan’s absence from Team India across formats

After he was dropped from central contract list, Kishan has not been able to earn his place back in the side. His last T20I appearance was against Australia in November 2023. From 32 innings, he has scored 796 runs at an average of 25.67 and strike rate of 124.37. He has six T20I fifties to his name.