Ishan Kishan delivers a jaw-dropping knock, scoring the fourth-fastest men’s List A century from No. 6 for Jharkhand.
Ishan Kishan, the wicketkeeper-batter, spent more than two years away from the India set-up. He last represented the national team in a T20I against Australia back in November 2023 and has since fallen out of favour. He lost not only his place but also the national contract.
SMAT 2025, game changer for Kishan
Kishan neither enjoyed a breakthrough season in the IPL nor in domestic cricket. Barring the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2024/25, where he made 316 runs in seven innings, the left-hander failed poorly in the other major tournaments. He cumulatively made just 664 runs in 24 innings across two seasons and had a scratchy Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024/25 (161 runs in seven innings). This meant that he was never really knocking on the door of India selectors.
But all of that changed in the current domestic season. Ahead of SMAT 2025/26, India’s premier domestic T20 tournament, Jharkhand appointed Kishan as the skipper. And, this proved to be a turning point for the 27-year-old. He led his state side in all of their SMAT games (10). He ended up winning nine of them, including beating a rampant Haryana side in the final to clinch their first title.
Performance-wise, Kishan was the leading run-getter in the tourney, scoring a whopping 517 runs in 10 innings at an average of 57.44 with an astounding strike rate of 197.32. With this showing, he earned himself a place in India’s squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Read More: Ishan Kishan slams hundred in SMAT 2025-26 Final
Prime hitting on display in VHT
To back this solid show, Kishan has begun the Vijay Hazare Trophy on a strong note, showcasing his reinvention in emphatic fashion. In Jharkhand’s first group game against the defending champions, Karnataka, the left-hander came in at No.6. to produce one of the best knocks in VHT history.
Jharkhand had a shaky start, losing opener Utkarsh Singh in the fourth over. However, the top-order steadied up as the trio of Shikhar Mohan (44 off 79), Virat Singh (88 off 68) and Kumar Kushagra (63 off 47) combined to take their side to 239/4 before the introduction of Ishan Kishan. Walking in with mere 12 overs to play, Kishan really made his opportunity count.
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He capitalised on the decent start and continued his stupendous form from the SMAT, bringing up his half-century in just 20 balls. He then slammed seven sixes and two fours of the next 13 deliveries to bring up his century. Moreover, he stitched a decisive 93-run sixth-wicket partnership with Anukul Roy (13 off 12) that ultimately helped Jharkhand reach 412/9 in their 50 overs. Alas, little did they know that Karnataka would chase down the mammoth total with 15 balls to spare.
Regardless, Kishan smashed 14 sixes en route to a breathtaking 125 off just 39 deliveries. In the process, he registered the second-fastest century of the day, reaching the milestone in 33 balls—just one slower than Bihar’s Sakibul Gani, who got there in 32. Notably, Gani’s effort stands as the fastest List A century by an India batter, followed by Kishan’s knock which is the second-fastest by an India batter and the fourth-fastest hundred overall in List A cricket.
What lies ahead?
Ishan Kishan on full throttle is a different beast. The same was on display during his double century in the Chattogram ODI against Bangladesh on December 10, 2025. It is, therefore, evident that he cannot be written off in this format. However, the VHT 2025/26 is in its early days and if he continues in similar manner, he just could make his case for a comeback to India’s ODI setup.
Read More: VHT 2025-26, Day 1: From crowds cheering Rohit in Jaipur to Virat quietly doing work in Bengaluru
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