Ishan Kishan’s evolution shines through in Colombo as he conquers difficult conditions with a measured yet impactful batting display.
A few months ago, Ishan Kishan was nowhere in contention for selection in India’s 2026 World T20 squad. However, his performances in domestic cricket, particularly in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, coupled with Shubman Gill’s poor returns as an opener, prompted the selectors to pick Kishan as the second-choice keeper-batter behind Sanju Samson.
Once Kishan got the opportunity to bat at No. 3 as a replacement for the injured Tilak Varma in the New Zealand series, the southpaw seized it with both hands. Since then, his exploits with the bat have pushed Samson into a reserve role. His match-winning 77 against Pakistan in the World T20 clash at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo further justifies the selectors’ decision to back Kishan, despite him being out of national reckoning for nearly two years.
Fearless Ishan Kishan
Since his comeback, we have witnessed a transformed Kishan 2.0 who is fearless, aggressive, and rewriting record books with his power-hitting. In fact, the lack of runs from his opening partner Abhishek Sharma in the T20 World Cup 2026 so far has hardly been felt.
Since returning to T20Is, Kishan has registered scores of 8, 76, 28, 103, 20, 61, and 77 — aggregating 373 runs at an average of 53.29 and a staggering strike rate of 215.61, including three fifties and a century in just seven matches.
Only Abhishek Sharma has a better strike rate during this phase, at 233.33, though he averages 30.33. None of the other India batters average better than Kishan, and only Suryakumar Yadav has scored more than 200 runs apart from Kishan during this period.Kishan has also struck the most sixes (26) and hit the most fours (39) by any India batter during this period.
Read More: T20 World Cup 2026, IND vs PAK: Kishan smothers Pak’s hyped spin attack; India through to Super 8
Gold-edged knock against Pakistan
The 77 against Pakistan on a slow, turning pitch at the R. Premadasa Stadium highlighted Kishan’s confidence and the form he is currently in. When he was dismissed, India had scored 88 in 8.4 overs. In other words, Kishan had accounted for almost 88% of India’s runs at that stage, scoring at a rate of over 10 runs per over. After his dismissal, India could not sustain the same tempo, but the batters were smart enough to recalibrate and post a match-winning total on a challenging surface. However, without Kishan’s knock, India might have finished with a below-par score.
Kishan’s 77 came off 40 balls at a strike rate of 192.50, while the rest of the batting line-up, including the extras, managed just 98 runs off 80 deliveries at a strike rate of 122.50. That contrast underlines just how well Kishan batted on a difficult pitch compared to the rest of the India batters.
What worked for Ishan Kishan?
A closer look at Kishan’s knock reveals an innings marked by clarity, a fearless approach, and a willingness to take the attack to the Pakistan camp with calculated power-hitting. There were no mindless slogs; he batted with clarity. Moreover, the backing of the team management to go after the Pakistan bowling regardless of the conditions or the nature of the pitch was very evident. Hence, despite losing Abhishek in the first over, Kishan showed no hesitation in pulling Shaheen Shah Afridi’s first delivery over square leg for a six. It set the tone for what was to follow.
Kishan went after the Pakistan spinners straightaway, denying them the space and time to settle into a rhythm or find their preferred line and length. He slog-swept Abrar Ahmed’s first delivery for a six and followed it up with a cut for four three balls later. Even Saim Ayub, Pakistan’s standout bowler on the day, struggled against him, with Kishan striking two boundaries off his bowling in the powerplay.
The assault did not ease after the powerplay. Kishan welcomed Abrar in the seventh over with three consecutive fours to bring up his fifty off just 27 balls. Shadab Khan also faced the heat, as Kishan hammered a six and a four off the leg-spinner. By the time he walked back to the pavilion, he had laid a strong platform for India to dictate terms and effectively bat Pakistan out of the contest.
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Kishan’s power-hitting
The following numbers underline just how exceptional Kishan’s knock was on the slow surface at the R. Premadasa Stadium:
- He struck at 192.50 — the highest strike rate for any 40-ball innings at this venue.
- He scored against spin at a strike rate of 178, whereas all other batters in this World T20 at the venue have managed a combined strike rate of just 118 against spinners.
- By the time Kishan was dismissed, he had accounted for 88% of India’s runs.
- While he was at the crease, India scored at a run rate of 10.1. After his dismissal, the scoring rate dropped to 7.6 for the remainder of the innings.
Kishan’s game awareness
Post-match, Ishan Kishan revealed that he was putting a lot of thought into his approach while batting in the middle. He said, “The wicket was not that easy. Sometimes, you just have to believe and focus on your strengths. (I) was just watching the ball, sticking to my strengths and making them run as much as possible. I did work a lot on my off-side game, so then I can have them bowl where I want them to bowl. On a big ground, you get bigger gaps. Trying to hit the gaps, trying to take two runs.”
Hard work pays off for Kishan
Kishan has worked extensively on his batting since he last featured for India. For instance, he was striking at 138 against spinners in T20Is prior to his comeback. Since returning to the national side, that strike rate has surged to 214 against spin. It reflects the amount of effort he invested while grinding it out in domestic cricket.
In the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he finished as the tournament’s highest run-getter, amassing 517 runs at an average of 57.44 and a strike rate of 197.32 in 10 matches, leading Jharkhand to the title.
Post-match, during an interaction with BCCI.TV, Kishan remarked that he is not someone who would remain silent during a two-year exile from the national team. “But Hardik Pandya advised me not to talk about it or go negative about it…all you can do is what is in your hands…that was playing cricket and scoring runs…doing well in tournaments…so credit goes to him,” he revealed.
Ishan Kishan’s road ahead
Kishan 2.0 is here to stay, as he takes India’s strategy of fearless and aggressive T20I batting to another level. In the company of Abhishek, the duo can dismantle any bowling attack on their day. If Kishan can blend consistency with his attacking flair, he looks set for a long and impactful T20I career.
Read More: Ishan Kishan’s Thiruvananthapuram ton buys him ticket to open with Abhishek in T20 WC 2026
