Ishan Kishan’s Improved Game Has Put His Test Career Back On Track

Ishan Kishan has shown tremendous improvements as a red-ball batter. Image Credits: AFP

Few players have improved as much as Ishan Kishan in the last couple of years. After everything he went through, the southpaw has made rapid strides and slowly re-established his batting and wicketkeeping credentials. In doing so, he has also made a solid comeback in India’s white-ball setups.

And now, Kishan is flexing his red-ball credentials with a magnificent double-century in the Duleep Trophy 2026 final. His marathon knock has almost put South Zone out of the contest. And this knock might just be what he needs to revive his Test career as well.

Ishan Kishan’s red-ball performances

While the focus has naturally been on Ishan Kishan’s white-ball exploits, he’s been equally consistent in red-ball cricket. Since 2024, he has featured in multiple red-ball tournaments and put on consistent performances with the willow.

In 2024, Kishan hit a terrific ton before an unbeaten 41 against Madhya Pradesh in the Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament in Tirunelveli. Later, he amassed a blistering century against India B in Anantapur in the Duleep Trophy 2024 while he was out of the India setup.

His returns in the Irani Cup 2024 and Ranji Trophy 2024/25 were middling, but he did hit a century against Railways. Kishan’s bigger comeback and higher consistency came in 2025, when he scored runs almost everywhere.

In the Ranji Trophy 2025/26, the Jharkhand captain scored 246 runs at an average of 82 across three innings. This included a magnificent ton against Tamil Nadu, which helped his team win by more than an innings.

Also Read: Ishan Kishan Creates History, Becomes Only 2 Indian Batter To Achieve This Record

In between, Kishan also enjoyed a good run in the County Championship 2025 during his short stint with Nottinghamshire, hitting two fifties in as many innings. And now, he has hit his maiden First-Class double century in the Duleep Trophy 2026, despite playing a red-ball fixture after nearly 10 months.

Sure, the pitch in Chennai was flat, and most batters scored runs, but Kishan’s ability to play long knocks stood out. He played 301 balls, hit 27 boundaries and seven maximums and struck at 83.06.

How Kishan has made a strong case for a Test comeback

Ishan Kishan’s Test comeback still looks some distance away for now, but this magnificent knock has certainly strengthened his case. Scoring runs at this stage, coupled with his recent international performances in white-ball cricket, should take him closer to the Test setup.

For now, though, India appear to have little room in the middle order. Devdutt Padikkal has pressed his case for a place in the main XI with solid performances in Sri Lanka, while Sai Sudharsan remains the incumbent No.3. Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel have also been preferred in recent times.

Rishabh Pant remains India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter, and rightly so. That leaves Kishan with little chance of making an immediate comeback.

However, recent injury and fitness concerns could potentially open up a spot in the squad. If that happens, Kishan could be next in line, either as a specialist batter or as a wicketkeeper-batter. In fact, he has done enough recently to prove that he can be considered for his batting alone.

BCCI Domestic

@BCCIdomestic

That moment when Ishan Kishan reached 2️⃣5️⃣0️⃣ 👏👏 Scorecard ▶️

Sep 7, 2026, 2:23 PM

When Ishan Kishan returned to India’s T20I setup earlier this year, he featured in the latter stages of the T20 World Cup as a specialist batter, with Sanju Samson keeping wickets when both were in the XI. He also played alongside KL Rahul in the Afghanistan series, although he took the gloves in that series.

The bigger point is that the team management appears to have developed greater confidence in Kishan’s batting abilities. His recent inclusions in both T20Is and ODIs underline that. Therefore, while the Test spots may look occupied at present, a return to the setup cannot be ruled out entirely.

How Kishan’s improved pace game could bring him into contention

A major reason Ishan Kishan has made such a strong comeback to international cricket is his improved game against pace. Earlier, Kishan had obvious issues in the corridor outside off stump, with movement only making matters worse. Teams began exploiting that weakness relentlessly towards the end of 2023.

However, since returning to form, Kishan’s game against pace has improved significantly. His off-side range is broader than ever, while his aerial shots are also bringing him greater success. Some adjustments to his grip and technique have helped him negate the threat posed by those channel lines that troubled him previously.

BCCI Domestic

@BCCIdomestic

Ishan Kishan brings up his 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ in style 💯💯 🙌 What a magnificent knock from the East Zone captain so far 👏👏 Scorecard ▶️

Sep 7, 2026, 1:44 PM

That could prove particularly important when it comes to his Test prospects. Several other domestic batters, including Sarfaraz Khan and, to an extent, Devdutt Padikkal, have shown vulnerabilities against quality pace bowling. Many of the other domestic performers coming through the ranks have faced similar issues, particularly in overseas conditions.

India could therefore value Kishan’s ability against pace on the upcoming New Zealand tour. They will need batters capable of handling quality seam and pace bowling, and their options are somewhat limited. 

While several players are comfortable against spin, Kishan is among the fringe options who have shown an ability to adapt against pace. If India decide to carry additional batters in the squad, he could potentially be preferred ahead of Sarfaraz or some of the spin options.

Kishan also offers flexibility with his batting position, having the ability to bat anywhere from the top order through to the middle order. He can obviously keep wickets as well. He may not be ready to pip Dhruv Jurel or Rishabh Pant for a place in the XI just yet, but there is little to suggest he cannot serve as a reliable backup.

That, though, is a conversation for later. For now, Ishan Kishan has done everything he possibly could to strengthen his case for a Test return. Interestingly, that is also how he forced his way back into India’s setup in the other two formats.

Also Read: Mohammed Siraj Under Fire: Replacements Who Can Take His Place In Test Team