“I’m very optimistic that he will make a comeback after this kind of a performance,” said Ishan Kishan’s close friend and Jharkhand teammate Virat Singh in a conversation with NewsX.com after their title-winning campaign in the Syed Mushtq Ali Trophy. The wicket-keeper batter had gone through ups and downs in the last few years but finally made a comeback and the one that straight away earned him a place in the T20 World Cup 2026 tournament.
Turning dreams into reality ✨
Competing as one unit 🤝
Creating history 🏆🎥 Thinking like champions, playing like champions, ft. Jharkhand – By @jigsactin #SMAT | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/U5W4ob0R0Y
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) December 19, 2025
Ishan had always been known for his ultra-aggressive approach with the bat and somebody who had the talent to play all-three formats for India regularly and he did. The left-hander made debut for India across formats one after the other. The youngster’s career highlight was notching up a double hundred in ODIs for the team but this couldn’t really earn him a regular spot in the 50-over setup.
Though, he was a part of the ODI World Cup 2023 but could only find a place for himself in final XI when Shubman Gill was ruled out in the initial couple of games due to illness. In the two matches that Ishan played, he had a 47 to his name. But the “team combination” didn’t let him get a permanent place in the final XI. After being benched on most of the occasions, it did take a toll on the young lad and in December 2023, when he asked for a break due to mental fatigue, it irked the then team management.
Things followed. He was not a part of the BCCI’s Central contract and the youngster also skipped the domestic cricket in 2024. It was in December 2024 when the situation flipped. He came across a quote from Bhagavad Gita and he called up his father to understand the meaning. His father narrated some more shlokas from the Bhagavad Gita, Ishan ordered the holy book and since then it has become an integral part of his life. “The setback has taught him discipline and has made him hungrier than ever to play for India again,” his father Pranav Pandey told TimesofIndia.com.
“The boy who always brought a smile to everyone’s face stopped smiling. As parents, my wife and I used to cry. It was a difficult phase and it has passed. He left Patna at the age of 12 and moved to Ranchi for cricket, and people were saying he had no interest in playing for India. It was painful to see those memes,” his emotional father recalled.
🚨India’s squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 announced 🚨
Let’s cheer for the defending champions 💪#TeamIndia | #MenInBlue | #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/7CpjGh60vk
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 20, 2025
The Comeback
The youngster has had his share of struggles but it’s all in the past. In a span of three days, Ishan Kishan is the first Jharkhand captain to win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and is now the part of the T20 World Cup. The left-handed batter struck two centuries and as many fifties during the course of the competition and ended the tournament as the highest run-getter. The celebrations are back in the Pandey household.
ISHAN KISHAN TALKS AFTER THE WORLD CUP CALL. 🔥 [ANI] pic.twitter.com/LrIGDwPCWt
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 20, 2025
Can Ishan Kishan Find A Place In The XI?
Looking at the T20 World Cup squad, the Indian batter who led the team in U19 World Cup in 2016 might not start in the first XI. But he is someone who fits the bill in the top as well as middle-order. Ability to acclimatize according to situation, accelerating at the right time and adjusting at any batting position are his forte. Even if he doesn’t get all the games in the World Cup, Ishan won’t be disappointed as he can always go back to domestic cricket, perform and earn his position back.
Also Read: Why Was Shubman Gill Dropped? BCCI Chairman Of Selectors Ajit Agarkar Explains
