India wicketkeeper batter Ishan Kishan opened up about what he learned during his long time away from the Indian team after playing a match-winning knock in the second T20I against New Zealand in Raipur. Kishan said that the break helped him find answers to many questions he had about himself as a player.
The southpaw smashed 76 off just 32 balls as India chased down a record target and defeated New Zealand by seven wickets to take a 2-0 lead in the series.
Ishan Kishan made comeback after 785 days
Kishan had been out of the Indian setup for nearly 785 days before returning in the T20I series against New Zealand. His comeback was not easy, as he had to go back to domestic cricket and perform consistently to earn his place again in the national team.
Ishan Kishan's runs in SMAT
During this phase, Kishan was in top form. He scored 517 runs in 10 innings at an average of 57.44 and a strike rate of over 197, helping Jharkhand win their first Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title. He then followed it up with a record-breaking century against Karnataka in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Ishan Kishan on being dropped from the national side
During the post-match presentation, Kishan said that while he was away from the team, he kept asking himself just one question: whether he could come back and perform again at the highest level.
“I only asked myself one thing, can I do it again or not? I already had the answer in my mind. I knew I could bat through the innings and play my shots. I just needed runs to prove it to myself. My focus was to play well and score runs, even if I got out,” Kishan said.
Ishan Kishan on domestic performances
After India’s disappointing tour of Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25, the BCCI asked national team players to return to domestic cricket to stay match-ready for international games. Ishan Kishan is one of the best examples of how this move worked.
Kishan made his international comeback following strong performances in domestic tournaments. He said he saw domestic cricket as an opportunity to score runs, regain confidence, and put himself back in the mix for national selection.
"I don't know about that. Yeah, I was just looking to score runs. Sometimes, it is important to do it for yourself. So you can answer your questions, how you are batting. If you are capable of playing for India, and that's why it was very much important for me to score runs in domestic cricket. Good part is we won the trophy as well. Batting here, taking the same confidence. So it was a pretty good day for me as well," said Kishan.