When India announced their squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, Kishan’s name was back where it once felt natural. In a list that came with big talking points—Shubman Gill being dropped, Axar Patel named vice-captain, Rinku Singh returning—Kishan’s inclusion stood out for a different reason. It felt earned the hard way.At one point, when it seemed Kishan may have played his last game for India and would not return for a while, this comeback is both surprising and inspiring.
Two years ago, he was part of India’s regular white-ball plans. An aggressive opener who could also bat in the middle order. A left-hander who could change games in a few overs. Kishan was also drafted in India’s white-ball setup as a like-for-like replacement for Rishabh Pant and seen as India’s second-choice wicketkeeper. He even made his Test debut against the West Indies in July 2023.Then things began to slip. He stepped away from a South Africa tour in late 2023, citing personal reasons and mental fatigue. The timing was poor, and the explanation did not land well. Questions followed.Then came the bigger blow.Kishan made himself unavailable for domestic cricket during that period. The BCCI took note. When the central contracts were announced in 2024, his name was missing. The board ended its release with an unusually direct reminder that players must give precedence to domestic cricket when not on national duty. The message was clear, and it was not meant for just one player.Around the same time, BCCI secretary Jay Shah had written to centrally contracted players, warning them against prioritising the IPL over domestic and national commitments. The letter spoke of severe implications. Kishan became one of the first visible examples of that line being enforced, along with Shreyas Iyer. Shah told the Times of India, “If you look at the Duleep Trophy squad, apart from Rohit and Virat, the rest are going to play. It’s because of the harsh steps I have taken. Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan are playing Duleep Trophy.”India’s head coach at the time, Rahul Dravid, later said Kishan had not made himself available for selection and would need to play domestic cricket to be considered again. Even captain Rohit Sharma spoke publicly about the need for hunger, especially in the longer formats. In Kishan’s absence, Dhruv Jurel debuted in Tests, made an immediate impact, and became India’s second-choice wicketkeeper and a backup to Rishabh Pant.During this period, Kishan did not react publicly. No interviews. No emotional statements. He went back home to Jharkhand and did the one thing selectors always ask for but do not always reward—he played domestic cricket seriously.In IPL 2025, Sunrisers Hyderabad picked Kishan. He started the season with a storm, scoring a century in his very first game against Rajasthan Royals, helping SRH post a mammoth total of 286 for 6. Everyone thought this IPL would be Kishan’s redemption arc. But what followed was not a smooth story. Despite the opening century, Kishan ended the season with 354 runs. His 94 not out against RCB at the very end stood out, but runs did not flow consistently in the rest of the games.What followed was the best phase of his career.Leading Jharkhand in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Kishan played with clarity and purpose. He did not look like someone chasing a comeback. He looked like someone enjoying responsibility. Jharkhand went on to win their maiden SMAT title. Kishan finished as the tournament’s highest run-getter with 517 runs in 10 innings. Two hundreds. Two fifties. A strike rate brushing 200. And then the biggest one of all—a century in the final against Haryana.Two days later, India announced their World Cup squad.Timing matters in cricket. Kishan finally got it right.Speaking after the announcement, his words were simple. He spoke about happiness. About Jharkhand. About the team effort. Nothing about redemption. Nothing about proving a point. That told its own story.This selection was not driven by emotion. It was about balance and combination.With India deciding to go back to opening with a wicketkeeper-batter, the selectors wanted flexibility. Sanju Samson is the first-choice wicketkeeper. They needed a second option who could also open. That edged Jitesh Sharma out of the picture. Kishan fitted the role better.Ajit Agarkar was clear at the press conference. Shubman Gill missed out because of lack of runs and team balance. Gill remains India’s ODI and Test captain. This was not a long-term judgement. It was a short-format call.India squad for T20 World Cup: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vc), Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ishan Kishan (wk), Rinku Singh.
