IPL 2026: It’s all falling into place for Ishan Kishan again
Ishan Kishan delivered a match-winning 70 against CSK, securing SRH's playoff spot. This stellar performance earned him a recall to India's ODI squad for the series against Afghanistan, replacing Rishabh Pant. Kishan's mature innings on a difficult pitch highlighted his comeback arc after a turbulent phase.
CHENNAI: In a span of less than 24 hours, Ishan Kishan went from locking down an IPL playoff spot for Sunrisers Hyderabad to reclaiming his place in India’s ODI setup after almost three years. Just a day after producing a fluent ‘Player of the Match’ performance (70 off 47b; 7x4, 3x6) in SRH’s five-wicket win against Chennai Super Kings on a sluggish surface at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, the wicketkeeper-batter was named in India’s squad for the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, replacing Rishabh Pant. Ironically, the last ODI Ishan played for India had also come against Afghanistan in Oct 2023, before his career hit a turbulent phase.
What followed was a classic comeback arc. Ishan did the domestic grind, forced his way back into the international fold, and went on to play a pivotal role in India’s T20 World Cup triumph. And during the T20 World Cup, the elegant southpaw had said that he was a “changed man now.
” That newfound maturity formed the bedrock of his knock against CSK on Monday. Arriving at No. 3 in the third over of the chase, on a deck where the ball wasn’t coming onto the bat easily, Ishan paced his innings brilliantly alongside Heinrich Klaasen.
By the time he fell in the 19th over, SRH were just six runs away from sealing a playoff berth. “When I was keeping, I just felt like this surface was not going to be easy. I felt chasing this total (181) is going to be a bit too much.